On The Run
by forbiddenquill
Summary: Draco Malfoy hates it. He hates the fact that he has to run with Granger now. He hates that fact that he has been branded as a Death Eater. He hates the fact that he can't do anything about the war that's happening. And yet, as the months pass by, something's starting to change and he's starting to like it.
1. Supposedly Safe

Chapter 1:

The Malfoy Manor looked abandoned at first sight.

The gates stood high and locked while the iron rusted to the cold December night. The vast garden was empty with the trees and vine grapes slowly wilting. The cool and whispering wind was enough to make anyone shiver. The silhouette of the mansion almost looked like a haunted house. The windows were ajar and the dark clouds surrounding the place told bystanders not to pass by.

The only sign that the house had inhabitants was the faintest glow of the candlelight in the study room where Severus Snape stood across Narcissa Malfoy.

Severus was peering closely at Narcissa, his greasy hair hanging loosely along his thin and sallow face. His dark eyes, cold and blank as ever, had the candlelight illuminated in them. He wore his usual black cloak, seemingly not caring if it was nearly two a.m.

Narcissa stared passively back. Her long blonde hair was tied in a bun, her eyes full of dread and sorrow as if she had suffered so much. Her face was thin, not full of haughtiness anymore and her hands shook slightly. If you look closely at her, you could see the faintest trace of tear tracks on her sallow cheeks. She wore a nightdress that hung loosely on her thin frame.

"Severus, I am thankful that you came here when it's so late," Narcissa was saying.

Severus nodded politely.

"Pleasure's all mine, Narcissa," he said softly, "Now, what is that you want?"

Narcissa glanced nervously around. Severus noticed this.

"Ah, where is charming Bellatrix?" he asked with a slight sneer.

"She's wrecking havoc with the Death Eaters," Narcissa's voice broke on the last two words. Severus's upper lip curled. He started to pace the room, coming to a stop in front of the book shelves. He traced his fingers on the spines, his expression blank.

"How is Lucius?" he asked, barely audible but Narcissa caught every word.

"He's trying," she said shakily and Severus closed his eyes, "He's asleep right now. He has nightmares about the Dark Lord coming to kill him—"

"Based on the status of the Wizarding World, Lucius isn't the only one with nightmares," Severus cut off gently, opening his eyes and pulling out a small book, "Spare me the pity, Narcissa and get to the point."

Narcissa took a shaky breath and as she did, the cool wind entered the study room, making the candlelight flicker slightly. Tears fell from her eyes as Severus scanned the pages of the small book, the sound of parchment being caressed by his fingers echoing around the room.

"It's about my son," she finally said. Severus closed the book quietly before putting it back on its placed in the shelves.

"Ah, young Draco," whispered Severus, "How is he? I'm sure that being tasked to kill Dumbledore would've made him the happiest man in the world, right?"

"Stop with the sarcasm, Severus!" cried Narcissa, her voice ringing around the room. Severus quickly casted a _Muffliato_ charm on the door. "He's just a boy! And he's being faced with the horrors of this war!"

"May I remind you, Narcissa, that there are other little boys out there as well? They have to live in fear of the Dark Lord hunting them down or killing their parents. This isn't _just_ about Draco and you know that."

Narcissa's lower lip curled. She stared at the back of the man she trusted and she thought of her son sleeping through nightmares in the bedroom upstairs.

"But he's _my_ boy," she protested. Severus raised his brow and the corners of his lips twitched slightly. He turned around, tapping his wand against his knee.

"Very well, what do you wish to have me do?" he asked.

Narcissa feebly smiled.

"Keep him safe, protect him or place him in Hogwarts. I don't want him living his life in _this_ place," she said. Severus nodded stiffly.

"I shall do as you imply," he said, "We should leave now then."

"That was the plan," agreed Narcissa as a few more tears escaped her eyes, "I shall wake him."

Severus said nothing but continued to gaze blankly at her as she walked through the door, choking back a sob. He turned back to the window, watching the stars illuminating the dark sky. He thought of Dumbledore and cursed the man under his breath.

It was several minutes later before Severus heard the faintest footsteps of two people walking downstairs. He didn't flinch when the door behind him swung open, nearly coming off from its hinges.

"What do you mean I have to go with _him_?" snarled the unmistakable voice of Draco Malfoy.

Severus turned around calmly and before him stood a young man who looked as if he had suffered so much already. Draco's blonde hair was disheveled and shaggy. His gray eyes were wild, as if he expected danger to blast through the window. His mouth was formed in a scowl and his skin was grayish white. His pajamas hung loosely on his thin frame and there was no longer that air of pride or haughtiness around him.

He was the image of a man who lost everything.

"Hello, Draco," said Severus, "Are you ready?"

"I'm not bloody ready for _anything_!" cried Draco.

Narcissa placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. His eyes quickly shot to his mother and his expression softened.

"Why do I have to go?" he asked softly.

"You'll be safe," Narcissa whispered, "In Hogwarts. Severus will see to it that you are protected."

Severus nodded. Draco closed his eyes.

"What about you?"

"I'll be alright."

A lump formed in Draco's throat. Severus watched them closely.

"It's time, Narcissa," he told her, "Draco, all you need is a wand. We'll be traveling first to someplace I have to do an important matter then we'll Apparate straight to Hogwarts."

A vein twitched in Draco's jaw. He looked at the older wizard with distaste then at his mother before sighing dramatically. He rubbed his temple with his two fingers before walking out of the door mumbling something that sounded like, "I need to change first."

Severus was the one who spoke first, "You're doing the right thing."

Narcissa sobbed, "I hope so."

.

The uncomfortable feeling of Apparation slowly faded away and Draco found himself in a snow covered forest. There were a few stars twinkling in the night sky and as he sucked in a deep breath, the cold pierced his lungs. The cool wind prickled his skin and he pulled out his wand carefully, tapping the tip on his waist. Snape regarded him with a glance before walking straight into the path, his black cloak billowing in front of him.

"Hey!" Draco called and Snape stopped in his tracks.

"Stay here, Draco," he said coolly.

"You can't just leave!" Draco retorted angrily, "You told my mother you would keep me safe!"

"I _am_ keeping you safe," sneered Snape, turning around, "and you better work on your attitude, Draco, because your mother is risking her life to save yours!"

"I don't want to be saved!" the young man cried, "I don't deserved to be!"

"Well, get used to it then!" snarled the older wizard.

He whirled around and quickly began walking towards the path of trees. Draco took another deep breath and his anger subsided slightly. He sat down on the snow and the cold seemed to have pierced him even more now that he was alone.

He thought about his parents and how his mother was ready to drop everything for him. He felt as if his heart was being clenched by a cold fist. His father was broken and Draco couldn't spend a night without being woken up by Lucius' screams.

He rubbed his eyes together and a beam of green light flashed in his eyes. He shuddered, thinking about Dumbledore's death. It was _his_ fault, he should be locked up in Azkaban for it. He deserved to be alive, he was a failure.

Failure. Failure. Failure.

He hated that word and yet it was the only thing that really fit him. It was the truth and it felt like a slap in the face. He _was_ a failure and he couldn't help but feel as if it was his fault that his family was being oppressed and he felt guilty that it was his mother who was suffering. He should be in that place; he should be the one suffering.

And he was going to be _safe_ in Hogwarts? How could he when he was sure that the students were going to talk behind his back? He was the reason why the school was no longer a safe place for the young wizards and witches in the world. Not to mention the Astronomy Tower where the evil of his doing was tainted into the very walls of the building.

It was a few minutes later before he heard a twig snap behind him. He stood up quickly, pointing his wand at the direction where it came from. His breathing had hitched and he had half the mind to run back to Snape but the thought of him begging for help infuriated him. He wasn't a coward, he wasn't.

There were soft footsteps against the snow and a wandlight illuminated the dark silhouette of the trees. Somebody was moving quietly and he was ready to shout out the next curse that came to his head. He moved closer to the trees, trying to maintain the loud beating of his heart and the cold sweat dripping down his forehead.

Then the silhouette turned to where he stood and the wandlight flashed towards him. Draco had half a second to react,

"_Expelliarmus!"_

The wandlight flashed and the wand itself landed on Draco's feet. He picked it up quickly, his own still pointed directly at the silhouette.

"_Stupefy!" _he cried.

The silhouette jumped forward, missing the flash of red light by inches and hit Draco straight in the chest. He gasped and landed on his back, his head hitting the soft ground. He groaned as a lump formed and he stood up shakily.

The person was now wrestling the wand he had disarmed and succeeded.

Draco scrambled to his feet, so did his opponent. He sucked in another deep breath before standing up straightly and pointing his wand at the enemy.

The confusion slowly ended as he caught a sight of his—no, her face. His breathing stopped shortly and he nearly stumbled on his own two feet. He stared at her, his gray eyes widening and his thoughts racing.

It was Granger.

"Malfoy?!" she exclaimed.

Her big bushy brown hair was frizzier than ever, her brown caramel and bloodshot eyes full of anger and suspicion. Her pale lips were formed in a scowl and it made her look intimidating but Draco never lowered his wand. She didn't as well.

His eyes trailed to what she wore which was a baggy sweater and scarves wrapped tightly around her neck. She studied him and he studied her, both trying to figure what the other was doing in this dead of night.

The silence was intense, thick with the past memories and wrong doings. Draco could almost hear a boy in the back of his head saying, _"Mudblood"_ and as he continued to stare at Granger, he was half tempted to call her that unforgiving word again. There was no sound except for owl hooting and the deep breaths they were taking. Snowflakes fell on them but nobody moved.

"What are you doing here, Granger?" Draco finally drawled.

"Ask yourself that, Malfoy," she hissed.

Draco couldn't help but smirk.

"Still as fiery as ever," he commented cheekily. Her face hardened and her grip on her wand tightened. "Since I'm a clever guy, I know what you were doing. Based on the multiple sweaters that you have right now, I guess you were looking for firewood."

Her scowl faltered for a fraction of a second. His smirk widened.

"Building a hobo fire, are we?" he continued, "Well, it's not much of a surprise since you're running with poor Weasley and dead man walking Potter."

Her lower lip began to quiver but her eyes stayed determined. Draco knew that he had hit a nerve, especially with the way she reacted when he saw Weasley's name. He dared to step closer and she did as well. Their wands were pointing at each other's throat and he could almost see her overworked brain trying to think of a suitable spell to hit him with.

"Oh, something happened with the Weasel, Granger?" he sneered.

"Don't call him that!" she shouted and her wand tip sparked with red colors. Draco took a cautious step back.

"I have _every_ right to call him which I please," he said thickly, "How about shitty Weasel or better yet, dumbass Weaselbee. Why not have a go at Potter? The Immortal Prick or the Undesirable thickhead? Which one do you like better, Granger?"

He began to laugh and Granger's hand quivered on her wand. Then the next thing Draco knew, he was feeling immense pain sear through his face and he covered his face, howling with pain. He stumbled on some tree roots and landed on his arse. His face began to bubble up like some soufflé. He glared at Granger but couldn't even see where she was because of his swollen eyelids. He knew at once that he had been hit with a Stinging Jinx.

"Maybe you should let _me_ come up with some names," Granger was saying and he could feel the power of her wand radiating in front of his face. He gulped and fear suddenly overwhelmed him, "How about Malfoy the Amazing Bouncing Ferret? Or Malfoy the Mommy's boy and maybe something even better like Malfoy Who Can't Do Anything Right."

Between the lines of the words she said was the implication of Failure. He gritted his teeth and gripped his wand tightly but he couldn't do anything since Granger's wand was now poking his cheek.

"You better shut your mouth, Mudblood!" he snarled coolly.

He _felt _her flinch and his lips curled into his devious smirks.

"Well, at least I'm a Mudblood who was has _something_ worth fighting for!" she yelled angrily and he felt his cheek sting and burn. "What do you have, Malfoy? That's right, you have nothing. And I feel sorry for you!"

His fury bubbled in his stomach, waiting for the right moment to explode.

"I don't need your pity, Mudblood!" he roared, "You know nothing about me!"

"Yes I do! I know a _lot_ about you, Malfoy. You're an arrogant coward of a prick! You're selfish and a spoilt brat! You were tasked to kill Dumbledore last year and you _failed_! Your family's in danger because of what Vol—"

Something clicked inside him.

"Granger, the Taboo!" he hissed but she ignored him.

"—demort has done to you!" she finished with an air of finality.

The trees moved. The wind became heavy. Draco stared at Granger even though he couldn't see her. Anxiety and fear replaced his fury and he stood up quickly. He could hear the sounds of footsteps approaching and voices murmuring.

Snatchers.

"You fucking idiot!" he growled at Granger and by impulse, grabbed her by the wrist.

"What are you—?"

But he was already concentrating on where to go and he could feel the atmosphere change. He shut his eyes, hoping for the best before he felt as if he were being sucked into a long and narrow tube with Granger's fingers clawing at his skin.

Then something shifted. A sharp pain struck his shoulder and before he knew it, he was hitting the ground and blacking out.


	2. His Patronus

Chapter 2:

"_Draco, you are no assassin," Dumbledore said calmly. The wind hissed violently as Draco felt the cool atmosphere prickle his skin. He could see the clear dark sky behind Dumbledore and could imagine the Dark Mark etched on it. His wand was trembling but he didn't dare lower it. He had to kill Dumbledore. He had to. _

"No…"

"_How do you know what _I_ am?" he snarled, "You have no idea what I've done! I was chosen!"_

"Malfoy!"

_The scene shifted slightly and Snape was by his side. A burst of green light erupted from the tip of the older wizard's wand and Draco watched, horrified, as Dumbledore was hit squarely in the chest and fell through backwards, the silver bread and hair flying about. _

"NO!"

He bolted upright and a stinging pain shot across his left body. He howled in pain and found himself half naked with his cloak and shirt carelessly thrown to the side. He was sweating and he shuddered when he thought about his dream…no, memory. He looked around and found a gruesome sight.

His shoulder looked as if it was maimed by a lion. The skin was ripped off and dried blood was beginning to clot, making it look like red spider webs. His collarbone was almost clearly seen and as he continued to stare at it, he felt sick and the pain started to increase.

He didn't even notice Granger muttering some spells next to him but when the wound started to heal and the skin closing up did he look up and acknowledge her.

"Tsk, Splinched. _Your _fault," he said through gritted teeth, hurrying over to where his cloak and shirt lay. "Bloody hell, Granger, you _touched _me."

She turned bright red.

"Oh, I'm sorry!" she hissed and Draco winced slightly when he moved his arm, "I should've let you die there! And what were you dreaming about? You seemed really…tense."

He froze just when he was about to pull his shirt over his head. He didn't look at Granger but could almost feel her eyes scrutinizing him. He tried to remain calm as he looked around the place where he had Apparated them.

It was another forest filled with snow. The trees were tall and there were no sounds that could reach his ears. It was eerily quiet and it reminded him of Malfoy Manor.

Something clicked.

He stood up quickly, ignoring the throbbing pain his shoulder as he pulled his cloak on. He didn't give Granger a sideways glance as he searched for his wand. He had left Snape, where was his solitude going to be now? He just couldn't live in the streets, that wouldn't be like him. He had to go back. He had to. His mother risked her safety for his, after all.

He found his wand lying a few feet from where they were and as he picked it up, he heard Granger say,

"Why'd you save me?"

His blood pounded in his ears. He could feel the cold affecting his head. Too tired and aching all over to retort back, he merely said,

"I just wanted to. I'm not evil enough to leave you with those fucking Snatchers."

"Why were you there?"

He sighed dramatically as he tapped his wand impatiently on his knee.

"Granger, this isn't a _fucking_ interview," he sneered.

Silence. Draco thought he might've gone deaf because it was _too_ quiet and as each second passed by, he thought that the air was getting colder, _too_ cold. Behind him, Granger shuddered and just when the hairs in the back of his neck started to stand did he finally believe that something was wrong.

"Granger," he called lowly. He could hear her getting to her feet. The pain in his shoulder was no longer throbbing but actually starting to numb.

"Malfoy," he could hear her walking towards him and even if he _did_ resent in how close she was right now that he could count the breaths she took, he didn't need to deny the fact that he needed her to stay alive.

"Dementors," he declared quietly.

Both of them whirled around and to their complete horror and fear, saw a swarm of Dementors sliding towards them with their arms stretched out and mouth hanging wide open, sucking in all the happiness around them. It got colder and Draco's lips started to crack. He took a step back, his heart hammering in his chest. He could almost hear Snape yelling "_Avada Kedavra!"_in the back of his mind.

"Happy thoughts, happy thoughts," he heard Granger stammering next to him. She raised her wand and yelled,

"_Expecto Patronum!" _

A feeble wisp of smoke erupted from the tip, not strong enough to form an animal but enough to make the Dementors wary. Draco raised his wand and he thought of the happy moments he had with his mother before the war, the stories she used to tell to make him go to sleep, the comforting hand on his shoulder when his father scolded him and her ultimate sacrifice to risk her life to save his.

A warm buzzing feeling formed in his chest and he shouted,

"_EXPECTO PATRONUM!" _

From his wand burst a bouncing ferret. He could hear Granger stifling her laughter. The ferret bounded towards the Dementors and as it did, the atmosphere began to warm. Draco stared at his Patronus, his first ever one and he could feel his pride swelling in his chest.

The Dementors all made hissing noises and floated back to the trees just as the ferret began to fade. Its tail twitched and it ran around, so full of energy, so full of life unlike its caster. Draco realized with a jolt why this was his Patronus. He had thought of the time before the war and how much energetic he had been with his group of floozies, just like the ferret was right now.

He sniffed as his Patronus finally faded into the air.

They stood like that, wands outstretched and expressions grim. It was slightly warmer now but the cold still made his fingers numb. The silence was intensifying and when Granger finally had the decency to walk away, Draco turned his head towards her.

"What was supposed to be your Patronus?" he asked shrewdly.

"An otter," she replied calmly when she reached the trees where the Dementors disappeared.

"Where are you going?"

"This isn't a _bloody_ interview, Malfoy," she spat coolly.

"Aren't you worried that Potter and Weaselbee are going to be dead at the hands of those Snatchers?" he said abruptly. Granger's wand dropped. She looked shocked and angry at the same time. He smirked.

"You _idiot_!" Granger yelled, walking towards him. He backed away warily, holding up his hands, "You saved me but you made me leave Harry!"

"Potter? He's immortal, he can take care of himself!" he protested.

Granger raked her fingers through her hair, her expression frantic. She paced back and forth and Draco watched her, his lips twitching in amusement.

"I need to go back," she told herself. His face fell.

"What? Go back? Granger, the place will be swarming with Snatchers!" he said. He didn't know why he was panicking inside. If Granger left, he'll be alone. As always. She looked at him funny but her eyes were still frantic.

"If I don't help him, he'll be dead!" she shouted, "He's my best friend!"

"Well, if I were somebody's best friend, I wouldn't go around, looking for him because that is clearly suicide!" he retorted, "Potter would want you safe. He thinks he can take care of himself! And what's the point, Granger? The Good Side will always lose! The Dark Lord's won! There's no stopping him anymore! If you continue with your fucking quest, you'll all be dead!"

She shut her eyes and he was taken aback when he saw the tears sliding down her cheeks. He backed away, unsure of what to do. He couldn't comfort her, he wouldn't.

"I don't want to lose him! I've already lost Ron, I can't _leave_ him!" she roared.

"What do you mean you've lost Weasley already? Is he dead?" Draco asked eagerly.

The next thing he knew he was staggering back, a deep and stinging gash appearing on his cheek. He glared at Granger who had her wand held out. Blood was slowly pouring out of the wound and into the white snow.

"He's not dead," she quietly said, "He left us."

"Brilliant," he sneered, "Always knew that Weasley was a good for nothing bastard."

He waited for the slap or the punch but none came. He spat out some blood that had reached his lips and stared as Granger fell to her knees and began to cry. It wasn't nice to look at, it was horrible sobbing like pouring your heart out and Draco couldn't help but gaze at her because never before had he seen Granger so broken.

He stood up shakily, tearing a portion of his cloak to wrap around his wounded cheek. He didn't know how to fix it. Six years worth of magic just became wasted. He tried not to look at Granger whose sobs filled his head.

"If you go back," he whispered, barely audible, "You'll just run into a trap."

"I have nowhere else to go then," she managed to choke out.

"But that doesn't mean that you have to go running towards a suicide mission!" he didn't know why he was trying to _save_ Granger but the thought of being alone in this woods scared him. Maybe it was because of the Dementors but he didn't _want _her to leave.

She stood up suddenly that it made Draco tumble back. He could feel the anger radiating from her very skin and as she glared at him through bloodshot eyes, he found himself reaching for his wand.

"I have to go back! He'll be dead by then!" she roared and Draco thought her voice might crack.

"Granger, stop being such a hero!" he retorted, "THIS IS WAR. PEOPLE DIE EVERYDAY! ACCEPT THAT ALREADY BECAUSE I _AM _MAKING SENSE HERE!"

"I DON'T CARE TO WHAT YOU HAVE TO SAY!" she yelled back.

"THEN DON'T LISTEN TO ME! LISTEN TO REASON!"

"WHY DO YOU WANT TO STOP ME SO MUCH? DO YOU WANT HARRY DEAD—"

"I DON'T CARE ABOUT POTTER—"

"THEN WHY—?"

"BECAUSE I HAVE NOWHERE ELSE TO GO AS WELL!"

The outburst left him dizzy and drained. He took a deep breath and only did his tiredness got the best of him. He fell to his knees, sweating and panting. It was because of the Patronus which was why he was so tired. He gazed up to Granger and he thought that she was slightly smiling.

"I have nowhere else to go," he repeated, "The world is swarming with Death Eaters and I just can't handle them on my own. You're the only one here and even I don't want _you_ gone…"

He stared at her, expecting her to shout or do something but instead, she sighed and sat down on the snow. She dug her hand onto a small bag he hadn't noticed before and pulled out a bottle of pure white liquid.

"Here," she said, throwing it to him. He caught in his left hand, "That's Dittany. It'll help with that gash on your cheek."

Draco carefully took off the portion of his cloak and soaked it with the Dittany a little bit. He brought it up to his cheek and even though it stung, it was slightly comforting. He looked back at Granger.

"You're still a Mudblood, you know," he halfheartedly seethed, "This doesn't change anything."

She smiled for real and chuckled.

"Of course," she said, "and you're still a Death Eater."

Her words hurt but not that much. He nodded curtly and threw the bloodied cloth away. There was no way she was just going to stay with him while she knew Potter was in danger. That wouldn't be the Gryffindork he knew.

"You're still going back, aren't you?" he asked quietly.

"Yes," she stood up and he rolled her eyes.

"You bloody Gryffindors and their _need_ to save everybody," he scoffed but stood up as well. His expression never wavered when he looked at her confused face. "I'm coming with you."

"What? Why? No way," she glared at him, pulling her wand slowly from her pocket, "You'll get yourself killed when I fight Snatchers."

"Better than having no purpose in life," he shrugged, "Besides, when we get there, Potter and the fucking Snatchers will be gone."

"Stop cursing," she warned.

"Make me."

"Prat."

"Dork."

Granger rolled her eyes and grabbed his wrist. They didn't look at each other as the feel of Apparation overwhelmed them. Draco felt as if he couldn't breathe before he landed on the snow on all four arms, gasping for air. Granger was lying on her back next to him.

"I hate Apparation," he mumbled before standing up.

He stood up, quickly pulling out his wand and looking at the familiar forest. He could feel the blood pounding in his ears as he surveyed the snow covered trees and ground. There were footprints on the ground and the faintest scent of blood reached his nostrils. When he let out a deep breath, he could see the air he just exhaled. His heart was working overtime. He expected to see a flash of green light but none came. In fact, it was quiet. The forest was filled with the normal sounds of the animals. He heard Granger choke back a sob behind him.

"They're gone," she mumbled.

He dropped his wand and stared at the ground. No Snape as well.

"We're alone," he declared quietly.


	3. Led into a Trap

Chapter 3:

There was dried blood on the snow where Granger's tent stood. The Taboo had broken all charms, spells and enchantments that hid people who were running so Draco could clearly see the broken down ruckus that the Snatchers had left. He thought that it served as a warning to those who would come and see this mess; a warning that whispered to them that they were coming.

"Harry…" Granger sobbed behind him. He clenched his fist around his wand, wondering if it would snap under his grip. He felt mad that Snape had left him. He knew that he had survived, he was one of the closest men to the Dark Lord; the Snatchers must've been kissing the ground where the Slytherin stood when they found him.

"He's caught," he spat through gritted teeth as he walked closer to the tent. He heard Granger follow him, "He could be heading straight to the Dark Lord right now."

The tent was slashed and ripped apart with several materials lying on the ground next to it like kettles, blankets and books. Blood was tainted on the pure white snow and Draco shuddered if they were Potter's. The less important stuff was left behind, proving how greedy Snatchers were.

Draco glanced back at Granger who looked really terrified. She stooped down to grab her books, shoving them into that bag of hers. He wondered how they could fit in there but he bit his tongue. This wasn't the time for stupid questions.

"Now what?"

Granger was the one who asked it and he shut his eyes, wondering where to go next. They were both lost, alone except for each other. He didn't resent the fact that he was going to be traveling with her but still, she _was_ the Brightest Witch of Their Age.

"We travel. You with finding Potter and me…trying to figure out what to do now," he stated, turning towards her while tapping his wand onto his knee.

Tears were streaming down her face and Draco was forced not to say anything that might deepen her bad mood. The last thing he needed was another injury.

Granger walked closer to the tent, her wand rose shakily.

"We need this tent," she said. He nodded silently.

"All yours," he waved his hand and looked around to see if there was any sign of a greasy haired hooked nose man. He was half hoping that Snape would still be here so that he would be whisked away into the safety of Hogwarts. The man was his ticket to solitude.

"_Reparo," _Granger muttered and the slashes on the tent began stitching itself and the rips were slowly disappearing. He watched as it began to look as good as new. By the time Granger was done, he was already heading inside.

The place was apparently small in his opinion but it would have to do. There was a table, a bunk bed and one extra spare. The place was filled with normal survival materials with books, maps and cooking utensils. It was lighted by a lamp sitting on the middle table and its candle flickered when Granger entered as well.

"We have to Apparate. The Snatchers might come back," she told him.

"Yeah, we wouldn't want that, would we, Granger?"

She shrugged. Apparently, jokes were out of bounds as well. He wished he could have chosen a down-to-earth Pureblood not snobbish and cool companion rather than bookish Granger. He sighed and got out, following Granger to the snowy but dreadful night where she stood a few feet from him, watching the starry sky.

He shuffled towards her, not that close but close enough to count the breaths she took. If he were his eleven year old self, he would have remarked how the oxygen was getting tainted by her mere presence but not now, not during the onslaught of war. This was definitely not the time to bring up school rivalries, this was the time to survive and he had to remind himself of that.

"Why are you easy going with me traveling with you?" he asked abruptly, "I tried to kill Dumbledore, I almost tortured Potter last year, I poisoned Weasley, I cursed Katie Bell and I'm practically one of the bad guys here. Why aren't you hexing me right now?"

She took an intake of breath.

"Maybe it's because I know that you're not _evil_," she said, "You saved me from those Snatchers. I'm just repaying the favor but don't doubt for a second, Malfoy that I don't have a wand pointed at you at all times."

He smirked, amused.

"Great. At least I know that you're still normal," he said.

He thought that she might've smirked as well but thought better of it.

"Let's just get out of here. I know the first place we have to go to," she said confidently that he almost believed that she really _did_ know where to go. One thing he learned about Granger for the past seven years was to never doubt her.

He just merely shrugged as he flicked his wand over the tent where it folded itself completely. Granger watched him in the corner of her eye as he packed the small package of a tent with its poles under his arm. She motioned for him to give it to her. He hesitated, thinking that one touch from her would completely dull his senses with her Mudblood germs but he did it anyway.

She stuffed the tent into that bag of hers. Again, he wondered how it could fit there but shut his mouth.

They covered the tracks and footsteps and when the sun was already blazing above them, Granger grabbed his wrist and the sensation of Apparation overwhelmed him. When he landed on rough snow, he gasped and nearly tumbled to his knees. He needed to get a hang of Apparation.

His vision was a bit blurred but once he raised his head, he could clearly see the large building in front of him. It looked like any ordinary Muggle building and he desperately wished they wouldn't go inside. He hated having to have any contact with Muggles; he thought he might get too much infected with them already.

They were facing the door engraved with the number 12. Granger was staring at it as she was reliving bad memories. Draco backed slightly away from her.

"Where are we?" he asked shrewdly.

"12 Grimmauld Place," she answered grimly, "We were here before so if Harry escaped, this could be the first place he'd go to."

"Is this his house or something?" he looked back at the wilting paint, the solemn silhouette of it and shuddered, "It's bloody sad, like he is."

She shot him a glare and he smirked, mumbling, "Kidding."

"It used to be the headquarters of the Order of the Phoenix," she said.

"Oh, I feel like a spy," he raised his hands as if surrendering, "I'm joking. Stop giving me that look, Granger, it's intense. Live a little."

"How can I bloody live when we're both in war?"

He didn't answer.

They climbed the stars, rubbing their hands together for warmth. Granger cautiously grabbed the doorknob as if it would sting her and pushed the door open. It was so dark Draco couldn't see the outline of the umbrella stand which he stumbled upon when he walked inside.

Granger laughed quietly as Draco experienced a throbbing pain on his forehead. He pushed himself up and pulled out his wand, muttering "_Lumos." _The light illuminated the hallway and Draco could see the doors leading to living rooms, kitchen, sitting rooms, etc. There was a long and narrow staircase leading to the second floor and the atmosphere was so thick with suspense and anticipation. Both of them waited to see if an Immortal Prick would pop up in front of their face.

Potter didn't show. Granger took out a step forward, raised her wand and stated,

"_Homenum Revelio." _

Nothing. Granger sighed, letting her arm drop disappointedly.

"Not here," she mumbled.

"Geez, you don't say?"

She glared at him again. Then, they walked to their different ways; Draco with climbing the stairs and Granger to the sitting room .The only sounds that echoed around the room was their footsteps and the opening of creaking doors.

Draco found himself in his cousin Regulus's bedroom. It was decorated with Slytherin banners and colors. It was neatly arranged as if it the one who lived here was still around but Draco could clearly see the dust that had formed on the bed and the cobwebs around the corners of the room. It was dark and the air was heavy with the horrible deeds done by the Black family and he felt the burden of that name weigh a ton on his shoulder. He was born from two families that were the worst: Malfoy and Black; loyal followers of the Dark Lord.

He shut his eyes, shaking his head and Granger's words echoed around his ears,

"_Maybe it's because I know that you're not _evil_."_

He felt a growl leave his throat. Granger knew nothing about him.

Then something startled him: shouts from outside. He hurried downstairs, his head forming the possibilities of an effective spell. He could tell that something was wrong when he stopped in front of the door.

He was frantically looking for Granger. If she died, he was going to be alone.

"Malfoy!" yelled Granger from the door to the sitting room. He turned towards her and at that exact moment, the front door exploded. A huge bang deafened his ears as he scrambled over to where Granger stood, trying to dodge the debris that was raining down on them both. He heard her scream when a stinging pain overwhelmed Draco's arm and he crouched down, grunting in pain.

Smoke was billowing from the wreckage and Draco could clearly see the silhouette of three or more people entering inside. He could feel a sticky sensation running down the side of his face. Splintered wood was flying everywhere as Draco quickly shouted and pointed with his good arm,

"_Stupefy!" _

"What the—" somebody dropped to the ground with a loud _thud._

Granger was looking terrified but determined as she shot an Impediment Jinx at another intruder when Draco grabbed her hand, by impulse. He could feel the heat radiating from her as he focused on where to go next, trying to calm his agitated breaths and the beating of his heart and the pain that he was experiencing on both his ear and arm.

The feeling of Apparation made it worse and he was slowly beginning to black out but the tight squeeze of Granger's hand pushed him through the pain. When it finally ended, he landed on snow.

"Malfoy!" he heard Granger call. Too late.

His vision was already fading. He knew that he was losing too much blood and he was beginning to wilt like a flower. The pain was unbearable and the last thing he saw was one of Granger's tear soaked brown caramel eyes over him before everything turned black.

.

He thought he was already in Heaven.

The place he was in was a field full of flowerbeds. The smell of it soothed him and he no longer cared if he was ruining something so pure. He felt at peace here. The sky was a brilliant blue with clouds drifting lazily and for once, he felt as if the sun was smiling down at him. He smiled as well. The air was warm yet cool, the lukewarm kind and it embraced him like some kind of lost family member.

"Paradise," he mumbled to himself. He didn't think that there was a paradise for Death Eaters.

He stretched out his arms and fell back on the flowers, bathing in their calming scent and sighing with content. This was what he always imagined heaven to be. No war. No calamities. No stuff that ruined the Earth. Just peace. Peace and quiet.

Apparently, that wasn't it either.

He could hear someone shouting his name. At first, it was his last name then his _real _name. He sat up, looking for the source. The voice sounded familiar but it was so distant that it sounded like it was from a faraway tube. He looked around but nobody was there but him.

Then the paradise began to fade. Draco stood up quickly and he realized that he began to fade too. The odd thing was, he didn't protest or cry for the loss of this amazing place because somehow, deep inside him, he knew that he shouldn't be here, not yet anyway.

Paradise would have to wait. A war was going on and he was a part of it.

He opened his eyes and saw Granger staring at him, looking tired but relieved. He sat up; looking around as if looking for the paradise he had dreamed of but felt deeply disappointed when he realized that he was in another forest.

"What happened?" he asked Granger.

"Death Eaters," she said regretfully, "I forgot that I led Yaxley there. They must've been patrolling there every day to check if Harry would come back. They didn't see our faces hopefully."

"So, you led us into a trap," he sneered.

She hung her head and for a moment, Draco's anger simmered.

"I'm sorry, you saved my life how many times already and I just keep on hurting you," she sobbed, crying into her hands. Draco didn't need to look at her. She was so fragile, _too _fragile. He imagined that it was because of the stress of war, losing her family and friends and finally believing that a Mudblood like her was a waste of oxygen.

He thought so differently but didn't say anything to comfort her. She was a Mudblood, nothing more and he just had to remind himself that. He stood up and the pain in his arm overwhelmed him again. He grunted and stared at it.

There were what looked like scars that were slowly starting to heal but he could see the faintest traces of them being etched on his grayish skin. It was bright red, like a rash but no amount of magic couldn't fix them. A few minutes later and they were already gone.

"Thank you," the words were tumbling out of his mouth before he could stop them.

He looked around at the forest they were in. There were a lot of oak and beech trees and he thought that it was so familiar that he could feel a memory forming in his head. He felt his throat tighten.

"No, why did I bring us here?" he asked to himself.

He was in Savernake Forest in Wiltshire, England, near his home, Malfoy Manor.


	4. Near Home

Chapter 4:

Draco somehow knew why he had brought them here. It was his favorite place in the world, away from the burdens of being a Malfoy. He would hang with his mother here and they would talk about each other. Maybe it was because he was dying that he landed here. He wanted to die in the place that was his only getaway.

He scanned the forest, remembering the oak trees, the soft and wet soil and the smell of beech reaching his nose. He could almost hear a child laughing in the back of his head and for a fraction of a second, he smiled. It was hard to believe that Malfoy Manor was just miles from where he stood in the marvelous landscape that his mother and he shared.

The place was so overwhelming that he almost forgotten the pain in his arm and the deafness in his ear. He glanced back at Granger and felt angered that he had to share this paradise to her but he had no choice. He had to survive and whether he liked it or not, Granger was a key to his life.

"We need to stay here," she said suddenly.

"No," he immediately replied, glaring at her.

"What? We can't just Apparate!"

"I will not stay here even for another second, Granger!" he yelled, a vein in his jaw twitching. He was too close to Malfoy Manor that he could imagine hearing his Aunt Bellatrix cackling while he slept and he would _not_ let his mother see him. He was supposed to be safe and worse, he was with a Mudblood.

Granger stood up as well, shooting him dangerous daggers.

"We can't leave! You're too weak to Apparate!" she protested.

"Don't call me—"

"IF YOU APPARATE, YOU MIGHT DIE OF THE PAIN AND I WILL NOT LET YOU DIE IN MY HANDS! I WILL NOT, MALFOY!" she roared and he backed away, his scowl nearly faltering.

"Wouldn't that do you good?" he sneered, "You'll be rid of me!"

"I can't let that hap—"

"Why?" he retorted, "Is it because you're typical Hermione Granger that you need to save everybody, even when they are one of the worst people in the world?"

"You're not one of the worst—"

"Granger, why do you care so much?" he asked abruptly, cold sweat running down one side of his face. "Why can't you get it in your head? I'm not staying here!"

"AND I CAN'T LET YOU DIE!"

There was a deep and intense silence that followed her confession. His nose flared and as he stared at Granger, he thought that he was finally seeing her for the first time. She looked really intimidating and controlling with the way she just sparked anger. He also thought that he could finally see the _true_ Hermione Granger.

She wasn't going to let him die. She was so good, so _pure_ that it made him sick. She was supposed to be this filthy ugly creature that he was grown to hate but how could he possibly hate someone who was helping him? There was nothing _filthy_ about her, she was both pure from inside and out.

Unlike him.

"Are you only doing this because I saved your life?" he whispered quietly.

She looked taken aback but a little pleased that she had somehow won the argument.

"Even if you didn't save my life, I still won't let you die," she said.

He rolled his eyes, "You're such a typical Gryffindork."

She rolled her eyes as well, "Shut up, Malfoy."

She moved around and pulled out her wand. She closed her eyes and began to enchant some protective charms that would keep them safe. While she worked, Draco watched her and he wondered whether it was true that she wouldn't let him die even if he didn't save her life. He was secretly relieved about that.

When she was sure that they would be safe, she pulled out her tent and began to put it out. He continued to watch her work, feeling as if he was actually grateful that she was there with him. He tried not to smirk at that.

He looked around the forest again and thought about his mother who was probably making tea and waiting to see if Bellatrix would come home with a head of a Muggle. He shuddered at the thought; his Aunt was a maniac. What would his mother think if he came home? He was supposed to be safe in the walls of Hogwarts with Snape and here he was, a few miles away from the Manor with Granger for company. The irony.

He couldn't come back and he was too terrified with the thought that Bellatrix might stumble upon them here and he would have to answer her questions on why he was traveling with a Mudblood. She'd kill Granger and somehow that thought disturbed him. And how would his mother feel, knowing that his son was involved with something with a Mudblood? That thought disturbed him as well.

Then he heard Granger yell behind him from the tent,

"Come on, Malfoy! You have to rest!"

He swore and reluctantly stood up, lumbering towards the tent while soothing his arm with caution. He tried not to think about his mother or Bellatrix and stared as Granger began to make tea quietly, seemingly at peace even if she was alone in the same room with a rival.

Draco shook his head and reminded himself that this war and there was no time for school rivalries; this was the time to survive.

He trudged to the spare bed and lied down. It creaked under his weight. He scanned the tent. In the Quidditch World Cup, the Malfoy tent had been vast and surrounded with other important Ministry officials seeing as they were _important._ He thought about the Death Eaters that had rampaged through the camp, wrecking havoc and chaos. He thought about his father being one of the masked Death Eaters.

He subconsciously glanced down at his arm where his sleeve covered the hideous Dark Mark. The Mark that proved he was evil, that he was a filthy Death Eater, that proved he was a supporter of the Dark Lord. All the tables had turned and it was no longer Granger who was dirty. She was the pure one; he was the crazed dirty animal that was deadly and dangerous.

_He_ was the threat.

"Malfoy?" Granger's voice brought him to reality. He glanced up at her where she was sitting at the middle table, her arms crossed and her lips pursed. He tried to look for a witty retort but was too drained to even think properly.

"Hm?" he mumbled. She sighed.

"Why don't you want to stay here?" she asked, her voice dripping with concern. For _him._

He wanted to tell the truth, seriously but no, there were some things that had to be kept secret. He curled to one side so that he wouldn't have to look at her face and murmured,

"That's my business; not yours."

He shut his eyes, trying to listen to the muffled sounds of the forest outside. The pain in his arm was numbing but he still couldn't hear in one of his ears. He stared at back of his eyelids, wishing that he was in Hogwarts; he didn't really resent the idea of being the main topic of scorn and gossip anymore. He just wanted to get away from this forest, away from his family.

When he fell into a deep sleep, he dreamt about the sweet happy moments he had with his mother in this landscape. For once, he wasn't writhing in fear of the Killing Curse in the Astronomy Tower.

.

He woke up because of the smell of burnt stuff. He had sat up so immediately, thinking of fire that he pained his arm even worse. He groaned as he looked around, searching for scorching flames and books being burned and toasted.

What he found was Granger cursing as her kettle burned, billowing black smoke.

"What the fuck?" Draco said.

Granger turned to him, her hair tangled and her brown caramel eyes bloodshot. She looked as if she hadn't slept in days and her mouth was formed into a deep scowl.

"I burnt breakfast," she growled and that was when Draco's stomach rumbled like an earthquake. He groaned and sighed.

"That sucks," he murmured, standing up and inching towards her, "I can't cook as well."

Granger was wearing Muggle clothes. Typical. She had this brown coat jacket over a thick white t-shirt and she also wore ragged jeans. He studied her face closely; scrutinizing the tangled and frizzy mane for a hair, the big, bright brown caramel eyes, the fair skin of her cheeks were now rosy red. He noticed the sweat dripping down her chin, the trembling of her lower lip and his gaze dropped to her hands which were shaking with either anger or disappointment.

"Ron was right," he heard her mumble; "I can't cook."

"Don't tell me that the Brightest Witch of Our Age can't cook!" Draco said exasperatedly, smirking since he was evidently amused. It had been the first time he hadn't dreamt about the Astronomy Tower and he was in a good mood.

Granger shot him a half hearted glare, the corners of her lips twitching. He shook his head, wringing his hands in the air and he momentarily forgot about the pain in his arm. He just sighed and said,

"I'm going to get something to eat."

"What are you going to get? Berries or apples?" she asked.

"Yes."

"I'll join you then. The more of us, the more food we can get," she said tiredly and Draco glanced over his shoulder to see her grabbing her wand from her bedside table. He didn't bother to wait so he strutted to the forest and then anxiety hit him suddenly.

Malfoy Manor was just close by. He shuddered and shook his head; he wasn't going back. He didn't want to serve the Dark Lord anymore; he had to remember that. He walked further into the trees, coming to a halt when he felt the atmosphere change suddenly and he knew that he had crossed the border between safety and war. He was very vulnerable now, visible to anybody's eyes. He took a deep breath when he felt Granger appear next to him as well.

"Let's go," she said, taking a deep breath as well. He knew that she was feeling anxious as well. She grabbed her wand and scorched an X mark on a nearby tree and he understood. It was a sign so that they wouldn't forget their camp.

He shrugged and as they went to their own separate ways to look for food, he felt as if he was being watched.

.

Draco returned to the camp site and was about to enter the tent when he heard something rustle behind him. He dropped the green apples he was holding, swiftly pulling out his wand and pointing at one of the bushes behind him. His heart was hammering and he was dreadfully praying that his Aunt Bellatrix wasn't going to pop out and start screaming curses.

"Show yourself!" he demanded and his voice must've rang around the forest because Granger suddenly appeared next to him a moment later, her wand pointed at the bush as well. She was clutching a few blue berries in her other arm and a water jug filled with thirst quenching liquid.

"Who's there?" she called out.

Somebody stepped out and Draco sighed. It was a sixteen year old guy with mousy brown hair and brown eyes. He was very small and had his wand pointed as well but it was straight at Draco's throat. He wore Muggle clothes since he was a Mudblood.

"Colin," Granger gasped, quickly lowering her wand but Draco kept his steady. Creevey could be an intruder so he asked the question he would mostly know,

"What did Ron Weasely throw up when he tried to hex me in second year?"

Creevey looked surprised but he answered the question,

"Slugs, I think. I'll never forget it and bloody hell, Hermione, what the hell are you doing with this creep?"

Draco lowered his wand but kept it in view of Creevey's face. He disliked Gryffindors but he hated annoying stupid Gryffindors with Muggle cameras. He growled in his throat as Granger embraced Creevey.

"What are you doing here?" Granger asked; Creevey warily glanced over at Draco who snarled at him. Granger glanced at him as well.

"It's alright," she told Creevey, "Ferrets don't really bite much."

Draco scoffed, rolling his eyes and crossing his arms. Creevey glared at him before turning back to Granger, his brown eyes huge and his mouth curled into a grin.

"Didn't you hear? It's all over 'Potterwatch'," Creevey was saying.

"Potter—what?" asked Granger, furrowing her brow.

"Is Harry with you?" Creevey looked around as if expecting to see Potter behind them. Draco saw Granger clench her hands.

Granger choked back a sob, "No, we got separated."

"So, you weren't there," Creevey mused, looking a bit disappointed.

"What do you mean?"

Draco's ears perked up. He knew that Creevey was getting excited with the way his grin was widening each second.

"Harry was taken to Malfoy Manor!" he announced and Draco felt something in his stomach lurch uncomfortably. Granger's mouth dropped. "Apparently they escaped and some Death Eaters began to laugh about the Malfoy's humiliation. It's really cool, you know."

"Cool?" Draco found his voice, his heart hammering in his chest. He raised his wand and pointed it at Creevey's chest. Creevey gulped but raised his wand as well. "You think that laughing at my family is _fucking cool?_ I'll show you the opposite of cool, Creevey!"

"Malfoy!" Granger warned but he wasn't listening. Blood was pounding hotly in his ears and he yelled,

"_Incendio!" _

The end of Creevey's sleeve caught fire. He yelped and began trying to put it out. Granger pointed at it and water burst out from its tip. Draco was huffing madly and he thought that his anger could no longer be tamed so he stormed towards the thick forest, yelling out curse after curse.

His family was humiliated. His name was tainted with failure. They were all failures.

He stopped and took a calming breath. He didn't know what to feel. Should he be angry at Creevey for insulting his family? Should he be upset that he was being laughed at by the gang of Death Eaters he had joined? He glanced down at his arm and pulled up the sleeve, revealing the hideous Dark Mark. He stared at it, careful not to touch.

He missed his mother who used to soothe him with calming words that put him to sleep? She had told him that no matter what, she would still be proud of him and the worse thing was, he wasn't even proud of her and his father. He felt this sickening feeling in his stomach as he sat down on the snow, leaning on an oak tree. He sighed and soon, tears were streaming down his face.

He covered his face with his hands and just cried.

A/N: Hiya, guys! So yeah, nothing much to say but just saying thank you for taking your time to read! I'm a huge fan of Dramione and I just wanted to write this suspense and romantic fanfiction of them!


	5. Warming Up

Chapter 5:

Granger found him a few hours later, staring at the setting horizon while sitting on a large branch of an oak tree. He was always fond with climbing trees, it made him feel as if he were on top of the world. He could remember back the time when he fell off one and his mother had simply waved her wand and the pain in his head had gone. If only there was a medicine for a broken pride.

"Malfoy," Granger called and he barely looked down.

He was staring at the beautiful setting sun where its orange rays still lingered in the sky. He could also see the moon if he twisted his head to the other side where it was beginning to come out with all its glorious stars. It was slightly cold yet slightly warm but his fingers felt numb and his face hurt a lot. He was half hoping that it was January already; he couldn't bear to stand the cold.

"Malfoy," Granger repeated. He tried to look strong; he wasn't weak. He looked down lazily at her, brows raised. Her frizzy hair had a couple of twigs in them and her face was full of scratches and dirt. He smirked.

"What happened, Granger? Played hide and seek with a few weasels?" he taunted and the mention of weasels slapped her across the cheek. Metaphorically speaking. For a moment, just a moment, she looked tearful. Draco sighed, glancing back at the darkening sky before jumping down on the snow. He wasn't pained by the force of the ground against his feet as he pulled himself up to his tallest form, half determined to make sure he was still above her. To his disappointment, she reached his chin.

"Where's the pathetic excuse of a Gryffindor Creevey?" he sneered, looking around as his fingers reached for his wand in his back pocket. Granger sighed.

"I Obliviated him," she answered, "Just a few memories. I had to make sure he wouldn't blabber to where we were. And he told me something really...interesting."

For some reason, Draco stiffened.

"We're near Malfoy Manor, aren't we?" she asked quietly. He cursed under his breath.

"Yeah," he growled, "that's why I didn't want to stay here. It's kind of creepy knowing that they're somewhere around here." He started to walk back to where their tent was. After all the anger and bad news he had took in, he was starving again. He heard Granger follow him.

"Why didn't you tell me?" she asked again.

"Because it's my _fucking_ business," he seethed, "and you were right; I was weak at that time but I'm not right now so we can definitely leave."

He couldn't see her but he knew that she was nodding. They journeyed to where their tent was and Draco needn't to look since he felt as if he were being pulled towards it. After a few minutes with no talking and footsteps brushing against snow, Draco saw the X mark on one of the oak trees in a clearing and he knew that he was back in the camp site.

He entered the boundary of safety and war. He felt the atmosphere changed and the tent in front of him came into view. He walked towards it and picked up the apples he had dropped when Creevey spied on them from the floor. As he dusted off the snow from the fruits, Granger appeared next to him.

"Time to pack up," she murmured. He stepped back, biting on one of the apples and chewing on it. He watched as she waved her wand and the tent folded itself. She picked it up and shoved it to her beaded bag. Again, he wondered but said nothing. She also shoved the grapes she had collected earlier into it.

"Hey, Granger," Draco called and she looked at him. He motioned his head to the big pile of apples in his arms and she rolled her eyes before walking over towards him, grabbing each apple and placing it into her bag until he was left with an already bitten green apple and one perfectly whole. He yanked it towards her.

"You can have that," he said and she cautiously took it from his fingers.

"Thanks," she muttered.

"Well, I'm converting to a good guy here, after all," he said, managing to crack a grin.

She rolled her eyes and bit into the apple, "Yeah. Sure. And I have the ears of a house elf."

"Maybe you do," he retorted, glancing at her ears which were poking out from her frizzy hair, "They do seem large. How on earth are you going to listen to lectures without them?"

"Shut up, Malfoy. Remember that I slapped you in our third year," she warned. Draco self consciously rubbed his cheek before looking away.

"Yes, I remember."

They covered up the signs that they had been there, making the air clear of their scent and brushing off the impressions on the snow. It would've been really easier if it was spring already but it was still bloody December. Granger carefully dispelled her protective charms and enchantments and Draco watched her work, since it had become a sort of hobby.

When the clearing looked normal and empty, Granger grabbed his wrist, giving it a tight squeeze. He nodded once before the feeling of Apparation overwhelmed him. His chest tightened and his throat constricted. He was gasping for air when the sensation faded and he landed on a land of snow again but it was darker and when he looked up, he saw the moon shining brightly above them.

"Stupid shitty snow," he swore under his breath.

He straightened up and scanned the surroundings. The forest they were in had a lot a lot long winding loops through trees. The snow was slightly melted in this part of the forest and as they walked around, the place was quiet and full of animal life. He spotted a black and white butterfly resting on a nearby bush. He watched it curiously, the way the wings fluttered and the antennas vibrate slightly.

His eyes moved to the other butterflies resting on the trees, at calm with the world. They were of different colours and sizes and as Draco watched, transfixed with the beauty of nature that he almost believed that there wasn't a war going on.

"A lot of butterflies around here," he muttered.

"That's because we're in the Ashclyst forest in Devon," Granger said matter-of-factly behind him, "My parents used to take me here."

"Very interesting to know where you used to go, Granger," he drawled, "This isn't an interview, remember?"

She glared at him.

"I was just saying that to diffuse the tension," she snarled.

He bit his tongue back to snap anything back to avoid a row. He watched as she pulled out the tent from her bag and began setting it up with the guidance of her wand. He noticed the way her frizzy mane fell back her shoulders, the way her brows furrowed when she was concentrating, the way her brown eyes glinted brightly and the way her lips formed into a straight line with focus.

He looked away as she straightened up, admiring the old tent. He felt his lips curl into an amused smirk as he walked towards her, hands shoved into his cloak pocket. For a moment, he had forgotten that she was Hermione Granger, the brains of the Golden Trio and that she had a thing with Weasel.

"You know, you're not _really_ that bad as I thought you were, Granger," he told her. "It's such a shame considering you're a Mudblood."

Granger turned to him, looking very pleased and proud instead of angry.

"I was right," she said with finality. He didn't know what she was right about but didn't say anything. They walked inside and Draco plopped himself on the spare bed, concentrating hard to conjure up a map of Britain as he waved his wand. He picked up a quill from the near table and crossed out Forest of Dean, Savernake and Ashclyst.

He saw Granger pull out a few books from her beaded bag (again, he said nothing) and she carefully arranged them on her bedside table. When she grabbed a book with a dark cover, she shivered and wrinkled her nose.

"What's that?" he asked abruptly, sliding out of the bed. Granger's head shot up to him and she shook her head. He was eyeing the book with interest because apparently, he felt as if it was important.

"It's nothing," she muttered.

"_Please_, I've known you for seven years, Granger, and I can spot it when you lie; you suck at it," he said lowly and as he tried to grab the book from her clutches, she pulled out her wand swiftly. He eyed it warily and stepped back, hands raised.

"Alright," he said, defeated, "You win. I won't touch your stuff."

"Good," she sneered, "Curiosity can kill."

"I'm not a cat," he sneered back, "I like to think of myself as a—"

"Ferret?" she cut in gently, grinning.

He rolled his eyes, "I was thinking wolf but since my Patronus _is_ a ferret, I don't have to get angry. You should be a cat rather than a chipmunk, Granger, since your teeth became smaller somehow during Fourth year."

"That was _your_ doing," she said.

He racked his brain, trying to remember.

"Really?" he asked, sitting on the chair behind him, brows raised.

She rolled her eyes this time, crossing her arms. She shot him a brief glare.

"You hit me with a curse that made my teeth grow larger," she said through gritted teeth. "I had to go to Madam Pomfrey to shrink them back."

Draco laughed cruelly, clutching his stomach as he thought of the memory back then. The way Granger had tried to cover her mouth with both Potter and Weasley looking shocked.

"I saw no difference and you can blame Weaselbee for that," he managed to say and as soon as he saw her face, he wished he could take it back. Her face which was full of contempt slowly morphed into the look of complete sadness. She looked down at her hands and her shoulders shook slightly. He stood up and backed away, not wanting to see her so broken again.

He sat down on the spare bed, curled himself into one corner as he heard a sob release from her. He shut his eyes, not knowing why. He was supposed to be laughing at her right now; the old Draco Malfoy would have but then he realized that he was no longer like him; he was an entirely new different person now.

He fell asleep and the Killing Curse and the falling body of Albus Dumbledore haunted his dreams.

.

He woke up shaking with tears falling from his eyes. Sunlight was slowly seeping through the tent and as his eyes adjusted to the light, he found the map he had conjured up on the table and he remembered that they were still in Ashclyst forest.

His eyes subconsciously sought for Granger's body and he heard her scurrying outside. He slid out of the bed and inched towards the tent entrance where he saw her sitting down in front of a burnt out fire, levitating rocks.

"Been up all night have you?" he asked, noticing the gray circles around her eyes. She nodded glumly, too tired to hide anything. "Maybe the books are catching up to you."

He sighed and walked around for awhile, stretching his legs. Then he realized that something smelled. He looked at Granger and saw that she was in no mood to argue with him. He pursed his lips.

"You haven't taken a bath, have you?" she suddenly asked behind him.

"Well, we've been running for the past few days," he retorted angrily. "Do you really think I can take a bath when Death Eaters are firing curses at me?"

"It's only been like a week," she reminded him.

He stared.

"It felt a lot longer than that," he muttered and he journeyed forward, making an X mark on one of the trees before searching for a stream.

.

He found the stream alright and the scenery was beautiful. It was surrounded with a large variety of trees with a few butterflies flying around, making it more extravagant than it already was. The stream's current was slow and as he placed his hand in it, it was lukewarm. There was also an amazing small waterfall gushing beautifully and there was a smell of nature here, the smell of something peaceful that he had to remind himself that he was in a war.

"Better enjoy the little things," he muttered as he discarded his clothes before slipping in into the stream where he could finally relax. He ran his hand through his face and made his hair wet by diving his head in. He sighed in content when he resurfaced, savouring the sweet feeling of being cleansed. He floated and swayed to the current's rhythm, imagining a world without war or prejudice.

He stayed like that for half an hour, humming one of the Weird Sister's songs before his stomach rumbled, reminding him that he hadn't had breakfast. He reluctantly left the stream and dried himself up using his wand which he had left on his clothes which he pulled into. He walked back to the where the tent was and found the X mark. He entered the boundary and found Granger still sitting where she was, now reading that dark book he had seen last night.

He gazed at her for a few more seconds than necessary before heading back inside the tent, hoping to come up with any ideas to where a brand new solitude was waiting for him as he grabbed an apple from the table, taking a huge bite out of it. He stared at the map of Britain and at the X mark on Savernake Forest.

He suddenly lost his appetite when Granger entered. She was clutching her book near her chest as if trying to protect it from his prying eyes. She glanced at his apple before sighing deeply.

"We need to have more proper food," she told him. His stomach grumbled in response.

"Where?" he asked softly, too emotionally tired to say anything bad.

"There's a Muggle town just a few miles from here," she said, shrugging.

Energy suddenly filled him up. He was repulsed. He was going to go into a Muggle town with those filthy animals? He took a deep breath to calm his anger. He had to remind himself that he was just as filthy as they were. His hands were dirty, tainted with attempted murder and judging by the look on Granger's face, he knew that he couldn't win this fight.

"Fucking fine," he snarled, "We'll get some food and get out of there."

What bad things could happen in an ordinary Muggle town? Apparently, a lot.

A/N: Hi! So Ashclyst Forest is much known for its butterfly walk! So, what do you think? I don't really have anything to say right now so, thanks for reading!


	6. First Look at War

Chapter 6:

Draco huffed angrily when Granger threw him a bundle of Muggle clothes. She had told him that they needed to fit in so they were both going to Transfigure both their appearances. So, right now, he was a Muggle guy with dark brown shaggy hair, a long and pointed nose with a thick beard. He threw off his cloak and shirt; pulling on the dreadful Muggle material they called polo and a vest.

When he was done, he turned to look at Granger whose frizzy hair had somehow turned into straight blonde hair and tied into a bun. Her brown caramel eyes remained and her nose was small and stout. She had a dazzling smile and Draco realized that this was probably the first time he had seen her smile. He looked away from her and marched to the tent entrance where Granger followed him as well.

"We should pack up, just in case we need a getaway fast," she said. He looked around the forest and how much he wished he could stay here. It felt like solitude to him. He could just lie down on the grass, watch butterflies and bathe in the stream. He could be far away from the world, far away from the war, far away from his family...

"You do it," he muttered, walking towards the edge of the boundary where he turned his head and watched Granger wave her wand and pack up the tent. He pulled out his wand and waved it over to the clearing mumbling, _"Scourgify!" _

The snow was cleansed off quickly with their tracks and as Granger came to stand next to him, racking her fingers through her blonde hair, he felt this weird nagging feeling behind his neck but he said nothing to Granger. He wasn't a bloody coward.

"We should walk," said Granger suddenly.

"What? You said that that town was miles away!" Draco protested. "You really can't believe that we should walk _all_ the way there!"

Granger shot him a glare.

"Well, that would be better than Apparating right into the open! There could be Death Eaters in that town; it's best to act like Muggles."

"You're asking me to act like one of those filthy brutes—"

"I'm asking you to trust me," she cut in gently.

He wrinkled his long nose. He hardly believed he could trust Granger but after she had healed him when he got Splinched and when he got attacked by those Death Eaters back in 12 Grimmauld Place, he had somehow did.

"Fine," he sneered.

They gave each other one last glare before starting to walk.

.

The walk wasn't too bad. There were a lot of butterflies around, swerving past them and adding much colour in the usual green that were trees. The snow was thankfully starting to melt so it felt a bit warmer now and their footsteps were beginning to fade. He looked at Granger and saw that she looked quite nervous. He did too. There was that uncomfortable feeling in the back of his neck that he couldn't shake off and he was starting to worry but he couldn't back down now.

The walk was quiet but calm. There wasn't any tension in the air anymore. He had noticed that the air felt heavy whenever they got into a disagreement but that's who they were. Two people who hate each other but are running alongside each other. He was Draco Malfoy and she was Hermione Granger. Pureblood and Mudblood. Slytherin and Gryffindor. Two sides of one coin.

His legs never grew tired or strained. He was admiring the beauty of the forest, the butterflies that flew past, the calm air that was full of peace. Their footsteps were muffled but loud in the silent walk. He could hear people taking not far from where they were and before he knew it, he found himself standing over a small cliff overlooking a small Muggle town.

"Well, that place is comforting," he muttered. He could almost feel his prejudice self bursting through his new self, trying to yell out insults and taunts about those filthy Muggles living in that town. He clenched his fists and turned back to Granger.

"Let's keep moving," she told him, pointing to her left where a path was. She marched towards it and Draco hesitated, thinking of Apparating right there and now to escape the Muggles.

In the end, he lumbered after her.

.

The Muggles in the town were unbelieving calm and kind towards them. Draco stiffened when he entered the city and as he glared at each Muggle that passed by who greeted him, they paid him no attention as if they didn't know that there was a wizard within them. He could remember from reading books that the Muggles _hated_ wizards, thinking that they could use their magic for evil. He couldn't trust them like he had grown to trust Granger.

They walked towards a bakery where Granger passed the bakers a few papers that Draco didn't understand. They, in turn, handed her a bag full of steaming hot bread and Draco yanked one from the top, chewing on it contentedly. He noticed Granger staring at him.

"What?" he said, "We're sharing now, no matter how much I resent it."

She rolled her eyes and as she walked ahead of him with her blonde hair tied in a bun, he sneaked a smirk on his lips.

They passed by a grocery shop and bought some vegetables with Granger's Muggle money. A few cooking oil, some eggs and new frying pans were the next things on her lists. It was at that moment that Draco felt something odd.

"Can't you just conjure those foods up?" he asked timidly.

Granger rolled her eyes, "Don't you read any kind of books? It's against Wizard Magic. It'll be too easy."

"Well, now our lives are _really_ complicated," he drawled.

He thought he saw her smile. They walked towards a coffee shop and Granger turned to look at him, as if asking for permission. He shrugged and she smirked. They got inside, placed their bags near their table as Granger ordered something. He found it more comfortable to be around her now, maybe it was because she was the key to his survival _and_ solitude but somehow, she still had to prove herself; he had saved her twice, after all.

Granger returned with two cups of steaming coffee. He took it cautiously, imagining poison swirling with the ingredients. He noticed Granger staring at him and he made a sour face.

"No poison?" he asked. She shook her head. "Veritaresum?" No. "Amortentia?"

"And why on earth would I give you love potion, Malfoy?" she said, raising her brow coldly.

He grinned, "Maybe it's because I'm one debonair lad."

She snorted as she sipped her coffee through pursed lips. He still hesitated but in the end, drank it anyway. He found it oddly satisfying.

"Hmph, Muggles are actually good at something," he muttered.

"Malfoy, not all Muggles are bad," Granger told him.

"Granger, you can't make me change my beliefs," he said, "That's my entire life, you know."

"Have you ever actually questioned your beliefs?" she asked.

He frowned at his coffee, "I don't see a reason to."

The corners of her lips twitched.

"We're all human, Malfoy; blood isn't always important," she whispered a few moments later.

He rolled his eyes and scoffed, "What about you, Granger? You read a lot of bloody books. Didn't you read that Muggles tried to _kill_ our race?"

"That was years ago," she retorted.

"Exactly, and if we come out now, what would they do?"

"They'll accept us," she said with confidence, "Malfoy, look at the Muggleborns in our class. They have parents who accept them for who they are and wizards and witches have mated with Muggles for awhile now. There wouldn't be any Purebloods left in the future."

He clenched his hands into fists. His prejudice was slowly starting to fade in the darkest corners of his head but he couldn't forget them .It felt as if they were tainted into the walls of his brain, trying to make him remember that he was royal, that he was a prince.

"That won't happen," he snapped, "It just won't."

Granger sighed and said nothing anymore. They drank their coffee in silence and Draco's chest somehow hurt as if a splinter had pierced his heart. He tapped his fingers and when they finished, he offered to shoulder the many grocery bags. Granger gave him an odd look.

"I'm being _nice_," he said defensively as they made their way outside.

The sun was shining brightly over them and as they continued to walk, trying to look for more supplies, an old man passed by, smiling at them.

"Ah, young love!" he murmured to himself and Draco twisted his head to say something like: What the fuck? But Granger nudged him, shooting him a glare.

"Keep your cool," she warned him.

"How can I? Muggles are as dumb as Weaselbee!" he complained and got punched in the arm. He winced slightly and glared at her as well but noticed that her eyes had gotten a bit teary so he reluctantly shut his mouth.

They continued to walk when Draco spotted something out of the ordinary in a Muggle town. A man with a long dark black cloak was pacing back and forth in front of a bakery, grinning to himself like an idiot while looking out the forest. His sleeves were pulled out and Draco felt his arm tingle.

A gruesome skull with a snake as tainted on the man's arm and Draco felt the hairs in the back of his neck stand up. He felt Granger stiffen as well.

There was no doubt about it—

"Death Eater," he whimpered and scolded himself for being such a pussy. He subconsciously grabbed Granger's hand and both made a run for it.

They forced their way into the Muggle's crowd. Some cried angrily, others tried to take a shot with Granger but blood was pounding in Draco's ears. His heart was beating twice as much as it should and he was praying that they could get away before they would be attacked.

He hoped too much.

A building to his right exploded and the Muggles all cried. Shrapnel and other stuff were raining down on them. He cursed when a brick hit him on the left arm and a massive pain endured his shoulder. It might be dislocated now but he didn't stop running. They needed to get to a safe spot to Apparate. There shouldn't be any Death Eaters close by that could stop them.

They rounded a corner where a few Muggles were heading the other way, trying to see the exploded mess of the building. Draco couldn't help but feel a bit scared for them. They were heading straight to a trap and when Granger squeezed his hand, he thought of her words:

"_We're all human, Malfoy; blood isn't always important."_

He pulled out his wand and this powerful kind of fire was burning inside him as he swiped it over the Muggles, creating a shield barrier that was hopefully enough to protect them from the falling debris. Granger nearly faltered when she realized what he had done but he tugged at her, pulling her closer.

"No time to gape, Granger!" he yelled at her as another building exploded, sending more debris flying over them. Then Draco froze when he noticed that there were green lights flashing everywhere. Several bodies dropped to the ground, dead. He thought about the Astronomy Tower, the night Dumbledore had died. What would happen if he were to be hit?

It took several minutes before he got his wits back together. Granger had been yelling his name and this time, he was the one being pulled away. They passed by a few Death Eaters who were torturing Muggle children, their evil cackles reverberating in his head. Granger yelled,

"_Stupefy!" _and one of the Death Eaters collapsed, stunned.

They kept running ahead, sending hexes and spells at passing Death Eaters while dodging the Killing Curse that was being thrown around. Draco's wand felt heavy in his hand as a Death Eater aimed a curse at him, shouting,

"_Sectumsempra!" _

He thought that he would never be able to hear that word again and he froze in his spot, terrified. He was going to die if he was going to be hit and there would be no Snape to heal him. But Granger pulled him and the curse missed, hitting him on the face instead where a deep gash appeared on his forehead.

He looked at Granger as she Stunned the Death Eater. She was hurt as well with her bottom lip cut and a bruise on her forehead. He tugged at her, noticing that their hands were still intertwined and both ran again, trying to help and hurt at the same time. They had to Apparate fast but the Gryffindor in Granger was stalling them. She had to help her people, the Muggles.

"Granger," he called, "We have to leave!"

He noticed that tears were streaming down her face. She had seen children tortured, people killed mercilessly. Of course, she would want to help. The town was in fire with smoke billowing in the sky. The air was tainted with murder and treachery. Blood was spilled on the road and dead bodies lied everywhere.

Draco shuddered and there was guilt bubbling in his stomach. He was a part of the group who had caused this. He was a Death Eater and he had the Mark to prove it. He felt as if he were in between of two sides. He was an enemy but he was with the hero. He felt like a traitor to his family but a good guy to the rest of the world. He was lost in between.

Time seemed to slow down. Death Eaters were sending curses everywhere and the Death Toll of the Muggles were increasing. A town filled with peaceful people were now being burned into ashes and he was witnessing the slaughter. This was war. People were going to die. People had to choose sides. People had to fight for their lives. He didn't want to be a part of this; he just wanted to find solitude that would be safe for him. He didn't want to perish in this war.

But he had to make a choice.

And just by standing there, holding Granger's hand, something clicked.

And then he was being shoved into a tight tube, his chest being constricted. He found it hard to breathe and the next thing he knew, he was lying on the half melted snow, bleeding slightly.


	7. Ignore and Pretend

Chapter 7:

Draco's ears were ringing when he woke up. His eyes adjusted to the bright light. He figured that it was already afternoon. He sighed and tried to get up but a stinging pain in his shoulder made him fall back. He grunted in pain and looked at his left side. There was also this pain in his forehead and he could feel sticky dry liquid plastered on the side of his face. He was bleeding slightly, because of the _Sectumsempra_ curse that had hit him. He still felt shaken up when he thought about it.

With a jolt, he realized that he was still holding Granger hand and she was lying next to him, curled up with her blonde hair flowing all around the ground where she lied. He stared at the intertwined hands, realizing that they were touching skin to skin and that there blood was flowing next to each others' flesh. She was warm and her heat flowed through his system, making him smile with actual content. It was at that moment that he realized that they might both get along fine.

With some difficulty, he forced himself in a sitting position. And as much as he hated to let go of Granger's warm hand, he had to. He rubbed the gash on his forehead, feeling the open skin and the blood slowly gushing out. He winced in pain and turned his attention to his shoulder which felt oddly disoriented. He knew that he had dislocated the bone and he shuddered to imagine what would happen if it fell of completely.

He had to wake up Granger. He had to ask where they were. He had to ask her to fix him up. He realized that she was the one who had Apparated them. They had left those Muggles to perish in the hands of those Death Eaters. Guilt filled his stomach when he thought about the tortured children and dead adults. He had even dropped the groceries they had bought. Now they were hungry and broke. He stared at the ground, hating himself for letting it happen even if he would've died if he stopped those insane maniacs.

He looked around the forest which was full coniferous trees that reached the sky. Everything was still covered in snow but half melted. Draco almost believed that it was already January. The forest was filled with the sounds of the wild and animals. He had learned that nature was the most peaceful place he could think of.

Granger stirred beside him and he felt a little relieved. He watched as she sat up, rubbing the bruise on her forehead. She didn't look like Granger; she was still Transfigured to look like a Muggle. Draco absently stroked his beard, staring at her.

"Where are we?" he asked quietly.

She answered, "Bedgebury Forest."

He sighed, "We left those Muggles."

She looked surprised that he actually cared. He did. He had noticed that they weren't half as bad as those stories his mother told him. They were actually just like them, except with all the magic. They were human, just like what Granger said. They were children, they were adults, they were people. Draco felt a twinge of envy when he realized that they had no clue of the war that was happening—no clue that people were dying every day. They were living normal lives and he craved for one. He craved for the solitude that they had.

"We should've stayed," he said, "We let them die. How could you?"

There was spite in his voice. They didn't deserve to live when they had left those innocent people back there. This was his fault, he hadn't helped them in the ways that he could. He wished he had died there, he would've helped people. Then there was Granger. She had thought of her own safety, she had Apparated them out of the war that they were seeing.

"Malfoy, we couldn't stay there!" she protested, "We would've died!"

"AT LEAST WE WOULD'VE DIED FIGHTING!" he roared. "WE DON'T DESERVE TO LIVE—"

"They were completely out of our help, Malfoy!" she retorted, "Stop blaming yourself or me!"

"THEY TORTURED THOSE CHILDREN!" he yelled, "HOW COULD YOU NOT CARE—"

"I CARE, MALFOY, AND YOU HAVE NO IDEA HOW I FELT WHEN I REALIZED THAT I _REALLY_ DID LEAVE THEM BUT IF WE ESCAPED THAT, WE COULD SAVE OTHER PEOPLE!" she shouted and Draco glared at her, feeling his chest heaving.

"You really think that you deserve to save other people when you let some die?" he questioned.

"We are both alive for a cause," she said steadily, "Harry has to defeat Vol—You-Know-Who and I _am_ going to help him."

He gritted his teeth, blood pounding in his ears. The pain in his forehead and shoulder intensified so he was wincing a lot lately. He was still glaring at Granger.

"Potter's not going to win," he said, "We're all doomed."

"Have you ever had hoped, Malfoy?" she sneered.

"Hoped what?"

"That we might actually win or maybe you don't want it. Maybe you want your little Death Eater friends to torture more children. That's clearly what you want—"

"You have no idea what _I_ want, Granger," he seethed.

"You're an enemy, Malfoy," she coldly said.

He faltered. The cold wind dropped a few degrees. Granger's glare softened when she realized what she had said. She shook her head, tears streaming out of her eyes.

"I'm sorry—I didn't mean—" she was saying but he barely heard her.

He _was_ an enemy. He was a Death Eater. He glanced down at his arm and hesitantly pulled out the sleeve, revealing the gruesome Dark Mark. Whenever Draco saw it, he could hear the sounds of Snape yelling the Killing Curse and Dumbledore falling to his doom. This wasn't the Mark of the winning side, as his father had said. This was the Mark of his treachery, his evil doings.

Granger was also staring at the Mark so he pulled down the sleeve, obscuring it off her view. A vein was twitching in his jaw. He stood up, said nothing and walked towards the forest, not really knowing where to go so he made an X mark on one of the trees.

He wanted to be alone, to be far away from Granger and the truth. He wanted to yell at her, to hex her maybe but there was that feeling in his stomach that made him feel guilty. He couldn't admit to her face that she was completely right so he did the only thing a coward do—he walked away.

It was nice being alone with the winds and the animals to comfort him. He walked with his hands shoved to his pockets, cursing under his breath and groaning with the pain die to his dislocated shoulder. He thought about Granger and how warm her hand had felt. He _actually_ thought that maybe they could get along but she had told him that she was the enemy so he was a bit discouraged now.

The cold stung the deep gash on his forehead and as he continued to walk with no idea where to go or what he might encounter, he thought about the Muggles in that town. He bit his lip, angry at himself, at Granger, at the Death Eaters at..._eveythiing_.

He buried his face into his hands.

"Fuck this shit," he cursed.

He leaned on one of the trees and stared at the sky, wishing he could turn back time.

.

A week passed by. They stayed in Bedgebury Forest, too weak to Apparate and trying to heal from their wounds. Granger had fixed him up nicely and Transfigured his face back to its original look but both were too solemn and angry to talk to each other. Draco had pulled out the map of Britain and crossed out Bedgebury.

It was a cool morning when Draco woke up shivering from his nightmares. His vision was a bit blurry because of the tears rolling down his eyes. He saw Granger in her bed, reading one of her books again and she occasionally shuddered and wrinkled her nose. The tent was awfully quiet and he could hear the muffled noises of nature outside. He had tried to forget all about the Muggles but it was definitely more difficult than he thought. Now, he was facing tortured children and dead people in his nightmares.

Breakfast was on the table—apples, berries and water. _Again._

He slid from his bed and lumbered towards it, grabbing one green apple and chewing on it. He wished he could eat something else. He loved apples but he was getting sick of it. He glanced at Granger who was still reading and pretending that he wasn't there. They had been doing that for a week now. Ignoring and pretending. Well, she mostly read and he just...well, did nothing. The hobby he had developed—besides watching Granger work was dreaming about solitude that was waiting for him. He thought of the flowerbeds when he had nearly died after being in an explosion in 12 Grimmauld Place.

"Heaven," he mumbled out loud and prayed that Granger hadn't heard him.

He got outside the tent, watching the nature unfold before him. His trust with Granger had slightly faltered. He hated the fact that he was a Death Eater. Every time he thought about it, the Dark Mark on his arm would tingle for a small fraction of a second. He bit his lip uncertainly until he drew blood. He licked the metallic taste of it, savouring the fact that he was injuring himself. He felt as if it would almost be like a tribute to the dead in that Muggle town.

He kept thinking about it and for better or for worse, it made him rethink about his prejudices and Granger.

**A/N: Yes, yes, very short. I had no inspiration and nothing to write about but the next chapter will be filled with blood! **


	8. Another Death

Chapter 8:

Another week passed by with no talking.

Draco was getting tired of this. It was night time and he was leaning against the tent entrance, keeping watch. He was twirling with his wand and admiring the stars. He could see _Draco_, his namesake. He was very much aware that most of the Blacks' names were from constellations. He wondered what he would name his son, if he were to survive and find someone who was comfortable with a Death Eater.

Granger was asleep in the tent and every so often, he would peep inside and watch her relaxed features. He thought that it was better having her sleep than having her glare at him every time he made a joke. But this was war; they had no time for jokes. Granger sure was cranky.

Then Draco heard a noise of rustling bushes and he stood up, wand pointed at the source of the sound. He was panting heavily and as he inched closer to the boundary. Somebody familiar poked out.

Draco was so surprised that he tumbled on his own two feet, making him appear on the boundary, falling to the ground. His chin was throbbing with pain.

"Draco!" the intruder called and Draco looked up.

The man's shaggy brown hair was longer and had grey streaks on it. There were scars on his aged face even though he was only about in his mid-thirties. He was wearing a tattered brown cloak and as the man pulled Draco up to his feet, the latter could almost feel the wolf radiating from the skin.

"Lupin," Draco said, clearly dumbfounded.

Then Lupin did something unexpected. He pulled out his wand swiftly and tackled the latter to the ground where his knee pinned on his back. Draco gasped in surprise and pain as he felt Lupin's wand on his throat.

"When I was teaching at Hogwarts in Draco Malfoy's third year, name one thing I taught him," he questioned.

"Are you fucking stupid?" Draco growled angrily and Lupin dug his wand deeper.

"Answer me!"

"How to stop a boggart!" he wheezed out and Lupin promptly released him.

Out of breath, Draco stood up, rubbing his throat mournfully. He shot Lupin a glare before leaning on one tree. His old professor was looking around with his mouth formed into a frown. He looked at the latter before the frown turned upside down though it looked rather forced.

"I'm sorry I had to attack you, Draco," he said and Draco saw the look in his eyes. It was pure pity and somewhat...shame. "I had to make sure you weren't an imposter first. These days, you just can't go around getting friendly with strangers."

"What are you doing here?" snarled Draco.

"I'm a werewolf; I have to change and this was the most...protected place from people," said Lupin hesitantly, "but don't worry. Tonight isn't the full moon anymore."

Draco slightly recoiled; Lupin sighed.

The silence that followed was intense. Draco was staring at Lupin, watching the deep lines on his face. He thought that the man looked like he hadn't had any sleep for days. The air was cold and humid, sending chills down Draco's back. He wondered if Lupin had killed anybody lately and the guilt was getting to him. He knew the feeling too well. He had endured it for how many months following after Dumbledore's death.

Thinking about it made something click.

"Why aren't you tying me up for the Death Eaters?" he asked quietly, "I saw the look on your face when you saw me. You hate me, don't you?"

Lupin's shoulder sagged. He seemed to age ten years.

"I don't hate you, Draco," he said, "I'm ashamed that I thought I did but you're somewhat...like me."

Draco stared.

"What do you mean?" he sneered slightly.

Lupin shrugged and Draco finally noticed how weak and torn he looked.

"You're an outcast, just like me. You don't feel like you belong. You've been forced to do something horrible, with You-Know-Who ordering you to kill Dumbledore and me...having to endure this curse," he said sadly, "You've been shunned from this society. You're...alone and feel as if everything is your fault."

Draco felt as if someone had splashed water on his face. When he looked around, it felt as if the world was clearer, sharper. The water had acted like a slap to the cheek. It made things easier to understand.

"You feel that?" Draco said hesitantly. Normally, he would've hexed Lupin right there but he didn't want to. He would've denied it but no, it didn't seem right anymore.

Lupin nodded mutely. Draco felt as if a part of burden from his shoulders had lifted. They said that talking to someone and sharing the pain was going to help ease the guilt. He believed it now. And he was finally starting to agree that Lupin was just like him. They were both outcast, they were both alone.

"Why?" he asked. Lupin shrugged and leaned on the opposite tree.

"Well, I impregnated my wife," he said, "And I fear that the wolf gene will transfer to the unborn child. He will live a cursed life, just like me."

Draco stared at him, lips unmoving. Lupin glared at the ground.

"Then you should be there for him," he finally said, "I know what it feels like to have a father who regretted his choices. But it's better than having no father at all. It's nice to know that he'll be there, even if he won't help with your nightmares or stuff like that. My dad's a jerk but he is still worth it."

Lupin looked up at him and there was a small little smile on his aged face.

"Thank you, Draco," he said, "That makes things clearer now."

He smirked.

"Yeah, so are you going to lock me up in Azkaban?" he asked.

Lupin's smile widened.

"No, that'd be unfair in your part," he said, "Are you travelling alone?"

Draco thought about Granger sleeping in the tent, apparently oblivious to the fact that a comrade was just outside. She could just storm outside and demand to know where Potter is. He felt an uncomfortable lurch in his stomach when he thought about it. And if Granger would be gone, he'd be alone. Thinking about that made his blood boil. He was sure of one thing tonight; he was going to be selfish.

"Yes," he said matter-of-factly, "I'm all alone."

Doubt flickered in Lupin's face but Draco didn't care. He wasn't going to let Granger go that easily.

"Do you have the supplies you need?" the old professor asked, "Like proper food or water?"

"Clothes," Draco said.

Lupin pulled out something from the bag he was bringing that Draco just noticed now. He brought out some shirts and cloaks and handed them to the Slytherin who stared at him in gratitude.

"Gee, thanks, you have no idea how long I've been wearing this," snorted Draco, gesturing to his old clothes.

"That's the downside of running."

Draco only smirked. Lupin straightened up, rubbing his fingers through his scarred face. Draco wondered how hard it was to be a werewolf. But it was a lot harder to be a Death Eater when the entire world is betting on your head. At least Lupin had friends and a family.

"I'll see you around, Draco, hopefully," Lupin told him gravely as if this was the last time they would see each other. Draco nodded.

"Hopefully."

.

Granger never knew that he was visited by Lupin and he liked to keep it that way. It was nice to know something she didn't. It was the night after already and it was Granger's shift to watch out for any intruders.

He wasn't sleepy; in fact , he was wide awake. He paced the tent back and forth, trying to figure out what to do to pass the time. Granger was pouring herself all over those books of hers. He kept wondering what was so special about them that she was ready to risk her sleeping pattern for it. During his late night shifts, he had noticed that she was awake in the tent. The only night she finally got some sleep was last night when Lupin had stumbled on him.

He tapped his wand on the map of Britain, not really muttering some spell. He just liked to tap his wand on stuff; it calmed him down a bit. It was a habit, really.

He heard Granger shuffle outside and he sighed. It was getting to his nerves that they weren't talking so he stepped outside to the cold night and found Granger standing up and inching closer to one of the bushes with her wand out.

"Granger?" he called but she ignored him. Typical.

The cold prickled his skin as he walked closer towards her. Then he heard it. Voices.

"Who?"

He didn't need to ask because he saw three figures in front of him, just across the boundary of their spells and sitting across a fire while mournfully eating some burnt fishes. The firelight was illuminated in their faces and with a jolt; Draco realized that they were his classmates. Hufflepuffs. Runaways.

One of them was Justin Flinch-Fletchy whose face was scarred. The other two were Hannah Abbott and Ernie Macmillan. They looked like they hadn't taken a bath in days—just like Granger and him. Their clothes were ripped and slashed with dirt all over them. They looked like street Muggles Draco had seen in London sometimes and it didn't make him feel any better. They reminded him of the Muggles he had failed to save.

They were talking quietly but because of the enchantments Granger had worked on, their voices were muffled like they were underwater. Then Granger grabbed a hold of his hand, putting an Extendable Ear on it— the one the Weasleys twins usually sold. He plucked it in and put the Ear just between the bushes.

Draco's hearing intensified like everything had suddenly come clear. He stared at the tree Hufflepuffs who were now arguing.

"You shouldn't have come here," Flinch-Fletchy was saying angrily.

Macmillan rolled his eyes as he picked a bone from his teeth.

"I wasn't going to sit at Hogwarts, thinking that you might never come back," he said. Abbott nodded glumly.

"Me too, Justin, you're not alone in this."

Flinch-Flethcy blinked furiously. He took a deep breath and glared at the other two.

"You're a pureblood, Ernie," he muttered, "You're a half blood as well, Hannah. You could've been safe with your families."

Macmillan grinned, "I consider you a brother, Justin."

Abbott scooted over to where Flinch-Fletchy sat and took his hand. Even in the dark, Draco saw his cheeks burn red.

"Remember the traits of a Hufflepuff? They're loyal and just," she told him quietly, "And we would _never_ leave you behind. No matter what."

"You'll get arrested," Flinch-Fletchy reasoned.

"We don't care," countered Macmillan.

"You're mad."

"Maybe we are."

Then something behind them moved. A bush. They all stood up abruptly and pulled out their wands. Draco found himself pulling his as well. Granger was shaking slightly and he wondered if she was crying. The three Hufflepuffs began to huddle together and something inside Draco wanted to yell, _"Run! They're Snatchers! Run, you pussies!" _but he knew he couldn't do that.

There was a yell, _"Stupefy!"_ and a red light burst through the forest, illuminating the trees. Abbott dropped to the ground, stunned and Flinch-Fletchy went over to check on her. Macmillan was now screaming spell after spell that came to his mind at no clear target and Draco was clearly betting on who would die first.

Flinch-Fletchy was a Muggleborn and when he thought about it, the Muggles in the town they had abandoned came to his head. He found his own fist shaking as well and as he watched the events unfolding in front of his eyes, his heart pounded wildly in his chest.

After a while with merely shouting out spells, the forest became eerily quiet except for Macmillan's deep breathing. Just by looking at him, Draco knew how much he was scared with the way his wand hand was shaking.

Then all hell broke loose.

Light flashed from everywhere that Draco staggered back, completely blinded. There were screams and yells reverberating from the Extendable Ear. Granger pulled him up to his feet and since he was completely dazed, he thought she looked quite..._pretty._

"What...?" he groaned.

"Confundus Spell," she told him, "A lot of them. Look!"

He raised his head and was horrified with what he saw. Flinch-Fletchy and Macmillan were on the ground, crying out and rubbing their eyes and towering over them where a dozen Snatchers with their wands pointed at the Hufflepuffs.

"Check 'em," one of them said huskily.

Three Snatchers grabbed Macmillan and Flinch-Fletchy's backpacks and began pulling out what was inside. Clothes, bottles of water, food, etc. They all grunted with displeasure. They must've been thinking about money or gold. They dropped the bags and kicked the Hufflepuffs brutally. Granger gritted her teeth in anger. Draco knew how much she wanted to jump in and help her friends but with that number of Snatchers, she wouldn't stand a chance.

One of them pulled out a long scroll of parchment. The others pulled the Hufflepuffs to standing positions. Macmillan was clawing at his face but Flinch-Fletchy was starting to regain some of his head and he was staring, horrified as a Snatcher towered over Abbott, grabbing her bag and taking out the stuff in it.

"Don't you dare touch her!" he yelled bravely. Another Snatcher kicked him in the shin.

"Shut up," he growled; Flinch-Fletchy gagged.

"Name?" asked the one with the parchment.

Flinch-Fletchy's face turned to pure horror. Draco's hand tightened on his wand.

"Name?" the Snatcher repeated.

"Cedric Diggory," Flinch-Fletchy whimpered; Draco resisted the urge to face palm.

The Snatchers all laughed cruelly. Draco was panicking inside.

"We know Diggory's dead," snarled one of them. "He was the first blood of a new war."

"Your _real_ name," corrected the one with the parchment, smirking. Flinch-Fletchy shut his eyes just as another Snatcher punched him on the face.

"Flinch-Fletchy," he dejectedly said through a mouth full of blood.

Macmillan was slowly escaping the effects of the dozen Confundus Charms he was hit with. He blinked and glared at the Snatchers with his fists shaking.

"Your name?" one of the Snatcher asked him.

"Ernie Macmillan," he said through gritted teeth.

"Eh? Hmm. What about your pretty friend over here?"

Macmillan glanced at Abbott and there was fear in his face.

"Hannah Abbott," he said with no hesitation.

There was a long pause except for the Snatchers mumbling and cracking stupid jokes. The air dropped a few degrees and Draco had to resist the urge to jump in and stun them. Granger must've felt the same way too because she was now shaking and backing away a few inches, trying to restrain herself from attacking.

"Flinch-Fletchy's not on the list," said the one with the parchment, grinning evilly.

Macmillan met his best friend's eyes and a mutual agreement passed between them. Draco felt his breath catch in his throat as the Snatchers all sniggered. Twelve of them with wands pulled out, how were they going to save themselves?

Then Macmillan did something so stupid Draco was surprised he hadn't dropped dead. He raised his wand swiftly and shouted:

"_STUPEFY!" _

A Snatcher fell to his knees and collapsed. Flinch-Fletchy ran over to where Abbott lied while Macmillan continued shouting spell after spell. The Snatchers overcame their surprise and fired some curses and hexes at Macmillan who dodged them with luck. Draco took a deep breath and with some cursing under his breath, he charged out of the boundary of the camp with Granger yelling after him.

"_Crucio!" _he cried out and a Snatcher fell to the ground, twitching slightly.

He turned to the others who were too busy trying to kill Macmillan and Flinch-Fletchy that they didn't notice him. He shot a few more hexes and Stunning Spells and _nearly _half the Snatchers were taken care of. But the other half was now starting to realize that another player had entered the game.

One of them raised his wand and shouted, _"Avada Kedavra!" _

Draco froze. Green light burst from the tip and it was rushing towards him like a jet. He thought that everything was going to be lost when suddenly he felt something knock him off the side to the ground. His head slammed against the grass and he groaned out loud.

"That was incredibly stupid of you, Malfoy!" Granger said next to him.

He smirked, "I'm impulsive, Granger."

They crawled under some bushes. Since it was too dark, the Snatchers had probably thought that Draco had merely fallen. It was so chaotic that they wouldn't notice that there was no body. Draco looked at Granger and her lip was cut. She looked anguished and determined at the same time and he thought that she looked quite—

A scream interrupted his thoughts and it was followed by an ear piercing _crack._ He and Granger stood up and pointed their wands at the turned backs of the Snatchers who were crowding the Hufflepuffs.

"_Stupefy!" _cried Granger; Draco followed her lead.

"_Impediamenta!" _he shouted.

A Snatcher was thrown off his feet by an invisible force. He slammed against a comrade and they lied on the ground, not bothering to get up. Six more to go. Two Snatchers turned to face them. One of them was trying to manage a broken arm.

"_Petrifis Totalucus!" _yelled Granger. It hit one. Five more.

"_Diffindo!" _Draco said and a huge gash appeared on a Snatcher's chest. He recoiled and began howling in pain before dropping to the ground where the blood soaked the grass. Granger turned to look at him, horrified. He felt great. The remaining Snatchers were getting wary of them but they were stupid enough not to escape. They just pulled out their wands and inched closer to where Draco and Granger stood. Draco caught a glimpse of Macmillan on his knees by Flinch-Fletchy's side who wasn't moving that much. A lump formed in his throat.

"_Avada Kedavra!"_ a Snatcher said.

They ducked in time and Granger shouted: _"Stupefy!" _

A _thud_ told Draco that the spell had hit its mark. He pointed his wand at the trees near the Snatchers. They were a few feet away from the Hufflepuffs. It would be risky but they had no choice.

"_Bombarda!"_ he roared.

The explosion that followed shook the forest. A few birds fell out of their trees as small splinters of wood filled the air. Smoke billowed in the night sky and Draco coughed out. It was too dark to see much and he felt Granger's hand grab his. He would've felt revolted but it was nice to know where she was. She was the only thing he was sure of. He stood up shakily, feeling splinters affect his flesh. Leaves rustled in the air and the part where the explosion happened was only a huge crater in the ground with the trees ripped out and thrown away.

The Snatchers were lying on the ground, wounded and battered. They were unconscious. Draco and Granger both walked towards the crater while still holding hands. The smoke was beginning to thin. Draco turned to look at the Hufflepuffs who were thankfully out of the explosion's range. Abbott was still Stunned but what caught Draco's attention was the fact that Macmillan was shaking Flinch-Fletchy's shoulders. There was a gruesome wound in his chest and his arm was twisted in an odd angle. Blood soaked his clothes and the metallic smell of it irritated Draco's nostrils. There was no light in the Hufflepuff's eyes anymore but he was still breathing shortly.

"Justin, don't," sobbed Macmillan, "You're going to be fine."

Flinch-Fletchy tried for a smile.

"We...both know...what's happen...happening," he croaked out.

"Mate, don't do this..."

"See you, Ernie..." Flinch-Fletchy whispered. Granger choked back a sob and Draco squeezed her hand. "Tell...Hannah that...I'm sorry."

With some difficulty, Flinch-Fletchy met Draco's eyes. Resentment and shame were in them and Draco wanted to head back to the tent but the Hufflepuff just smiled.

"Thanks...Malfoy and Hermione," he muttered and he faded away with a smile on his face.


	9. A day full of Fun

Chapter 9:

They buried Flinch-Fletchy in the ground near a stream the next day. Abbott had woken up to find her best friend dead who was saved by a Death Eater. It took a couple of minutes for them to convince her that Draco was good but she kept giving him dirty glances.

The burial was quiet. The air was intense and full of grief. Another Mudblood dead. The bright and sunny sky felt like an insult to Flinch-Fletchy's death. Macmillan and Abbott were both devastated so they cried a lot. Draco couldn't help but feel saddened as well. Granger's eyes were bloodshot as she stood next to him. He stared at her and she nodded glumly in his direction.

They gazed at the grave they had created. A stone was embedded on the dirt where Granger had written: Hear Lies Justin Flinch-Fletchy. Macmillan sniffled.

"I'm so sorry, Ernie," Granger said with tears in her eyes.

Macmillan turned to look at her.

"It's alright, Hermione," he said, "You kept us safe. You had to."

He looked oddly at Draco as if trying to realize that he had saved them as well. Draco didn't meet his eyes. He felt strange. He was with a bunch of dunderheaded Hufflepuffs. If his parents knew what he had been doing for the past few weeks…

"What have you been doing for the past months, Hermione?" Abbott asked.

Granger stared at the stream and Draco knew that she was thinking about Potter. He always felt uncomfortable when she thought about him…

"Well, me, Harry and Ron used to be running together but we got separated and I met Malfoy on the way here. Guess we sort of got used to each other," she mumbled.

"Yeah, _sort of_," Draco snorted. Granger turned to glare at him.

Macmillan and Abbott both stared at them. Draco stared back. There was something in their faces that he couldn't understand but there was something he was sure of: they weren't angry at him, maybe grudgingly grateful for him. He shifted awkwardly, dropping his gaze to the ground.

"Where are you going next?" Granger asked them.

Draco looked up to see Macmillan wrap an arm around Abbott's shoulders.

"Guess we'll be going back to Hogwarts," he said quietly, "I wouldn't be able to stand sitting back at home when a war's going on."

Draco nodded mutely.

"Thanks for saving us again," Abbott told them, "You'll be fine from now on?"

Granger nodded as well, "Of course, just don't tell anyone where we are. Death Eaters. Snatchers. Ministry Officials. You know…"

Macmillan sighed, "The world's gone mad."

Abbott glanced at Flinch-Fletchy's grave.

"That's why we need friends to pull us up," she muttered.

.

When they got back to the tent, they didn't speak much. No words were exchanged, just glances to acknowledge each other's presence. The air was thick and intense as if the tent was holding its breath. Draco sat down on the edge of his bed, running his hand through his silvery blonde hair, trying to realize the fact that another Mudblood was dead.

When he tried to imagine Granger dead, he shuddered because he couldn't bear to think about it. She was right, they had gotten used to each other and if she was gone…he couldn't stand that. She was the only thing that tolerated him enough to live with him. He didn't want to say it out loud to her face or to himself but he _needed_ her.

.

Another day passed by. He was sitting down at the table, a half eaten apple in front of him. He was scowling at it but he wasn't sure why. Then he heard Granger enter the tent. She was holding a book he recognized because his father had bought it too just after it was released: _The Life and Lies of Albus Dumbledore_. He pointed a finger at it.

"Aren't you on _his_ side?" he shrewdly asked.

The Dumbledore on the picture scratched his nose. Granger looked uncertain.

"Of course but I wanted to know more—"

He snorted, "Hard not to. You're Hermione Granger."

To his surprise, she took a seat across him and placed the book on the table. She didn't look mad or irritated which was a first. She mostly looked doubtful and cautious as she fiddled with her thumbs. She was holding something back alright.

"What?" he asked.

Granger took a deep breath. He waited patiently, tapping his finger on his knee.

"I was thinking…" she began to hesitantly say.

"Of course you were," he sarcastically muttered under his breath. She ignored this.

"Well, after what happened back there," she said and her voice gradually began to sound confident, "we should trust each other more. At this rate, we have to make sure we aren't… immature because of what happened in the past. This is reality, Malfoy, and I want to be sure that I'm not making a huge mistake by letting you sleep in the next bed."

Draco stared at her, his features unmoving. She stared passively back. After a few minutes of silence and just staring, he sighed and threw his hands in the air dramatically.

"Fine and what are we supposed to do?"

She smiled. Draco never had that smile directed at him but it felt nice.

"What do you think about having a day of fun?"

He shrugged and rapped his fingers smartly on the table. A day of fun sounded…fun but to what extent? He was sure something would go wrong, he had that bad feeling nagging at the back of his neck but he needed a break. Heck, they both needed it.

"Alright where?" he asked.

"Are you sure about this?" she said.

"Yes, Granger."

"We should start calling each other by our first names, you know," she told him.

He shot her a half hearted glare but he knew she was serious. Trust had to begin at the simplest of things, even names. He could feel his prejudice self building some wall to shield him but his broken and new self broke them down. He was a changed person and change was never easy. He had to see death to realize that maybe he wasn't superior to Mudbloods and Muggles. They were…human, just as Granger had said.

"Fine," he muttered. She stared expectantly at him and he gritted his teeth as he added, "Hermione."

She smiled again and for a fraction of a second, Draco faltered.

"Bedgebury Forest is full of stuff. We could do mountain climbing, exploring—"

"Muggle style?"

She nodded slowly, watching his expression. He bit back his tongue to say anything. If he were to have Granger trust him as he did with her, he had to play along even if he didn't like it one bit. He crossed his arms and nodded mutely, prodding her to continue.

"Good," she said, "That's the first step to trusting each other."

_And probably the last_, he thought.

.

They packed up for the day, thinking that they should keep moving along. He watched as she shoved the tent to her bag and finally, he had the courage to ask.

"How do you do that?"

She looked up, brows raised. He pointed to the beaded bag and she just shrugged.

"Simple. Extension Charm. I can put anything here."

"_Anything?" _

She nodded.

"So…I can fit in there as well?"

She scoffed, rolling her eyes, "That's such a childish question, Malfoy."

"Thought you should be calling me Draco now," he reminded timidly.

"Draco."

"That's good, beaver."

"Shut up, ferret," she growled but he wasn't surprise with the smile tugging at her lips.

They shut off the enchantments and headed west first. The sun was hidden with the tall trees of Bedgebury Forest and there were flies everywhere and mosquitoes that bit their flesh. He was guessing that January was nearing the end already. The ground was mushy and wet and a couple of animals came out of their hiding places to watch them. He even saw a stag walk across them.

"Harry…" he heard Granger mumble. He rolled his eyes.

The place was full of sounds from frogs, hissing snakes and a bunch of other animals he couldn't guess. As they continued to trudge along with sweat dripping down their eyes, they passed by a lake and decided to take a break. They walked towards it and the clear water was a sight for sore eyes. Draco sat down and began taking his boots off.

He touched the water, feeling it cleanse his fingers. It was cool and pure. He felt himself relax then he realized something.

"You haven't taken a bath, have you?" he asked Granger.

She was standing far from him with her back turned to the forest. The clean water and smell of something pure must've been a sigh of relief for her. He knew because he felt the same way as well.

She shook her head and Draco smirked.

"Come on," he told her, "The water's cold."

Granger glanced at him, half glaring.

"With you staring?"

He actually laughed. Maybe it was because of the ideal question for her to ask or maybe he just felt like laughing. It was nice to feel at ease. The tension was slowly fading as they began to get use to each other. It wasn't that bad running with her.

"Don't be a bitch, Granger," he said, standing up and walking towards her, "I'm not a pervert or anything and besides, touching you would be the last thing I'd do."

She backed away, "I am _not_ going in there with you just a stone's throw away."

He grinned, "Come on. You have to put down the books first and live a little, Granger. And you said that today would be fun."

And without waiting for a response, he knelt down and grabbed her from under. He was so fast that she barely had time to scream. He picked her up bridal style before running towards the water and making a huge splash. He felt Granger's hands clasp around his neck. The water was clear that he could everything even the way she looked so terrified right now. It wasn't too deep, maybe ten feet but it was still breathtaking. He tightened his grip on Granger as she squirmed and punched him. He couldn't care less. She told him that this trip had to be full of trust and for what it's worth, she should trust him.

She felt warm against his body and if he concentrated enough, he could feel her heart pounding against his chest. Her hands were firm around his neck and as he stared at her face while holding his breath, her brown caramel eyes looked brighter, bright with fear. Her hair was flying all around her and her brows were scrunched together.

He stayed like that, just staring at her but finally stopped when Granger looked like he couldn't breathe anymore. He swam to the surface where she sputtered out some water and took a lungful of air, still clinging to him as if he were a life guard.

"You are crazy, Malfoy!" she screamed at him. He chuckled and released her.

She floated far away from him, glaring.

"What? You looked like you needed it," he protested, smirking.

She splashed some water at him angrily.

"You said touching me was the last thing you'd do!" she yelled.

He had the nerve to crack a grin which made her face turn redder.

"I make a lot of promises I can't keep, Granger," he told her steadily, "Maybe that's the reason why I'm such a failure, eh?"

There was silence but Draco didn't mind. He floated at ease, trying to cherish the feeling of being cleansed. He didn't even care if his clothes were getting wet; what really mattered right now was that he was happy.

Until Granger ruined it by slamming into his chest, sending them both tumbling into the water below.

Water filled his esophagus. He pushed aside Granger and swam to the surface again, his throat burning and his eyes stinging. He gagged and coughed, paddling towards the shore where he dropped down and lied there. He was shaking violently as water sputtered from his mouth then he heard Granger plop down next to him.

"Serves you right," she told him, grinning.

"I fucking hate you," he growled and sat up, reaching for his wand under his clothes.

Granger smiled and stood up as well. She stretched her arms.

"Well, that was fun, wasn't it?"

.

They continued to walk and this time, they were talking. Maybe it was the uniqueness of the situation they were in but he felt great. He finally had someone to talk to and that's something that's hard to achieve when you're a Death Eater. The forest was still warm and humid and full of insects that bit at their skin but it was still a long day of fun.

They had dried themselves using a Warming Charm but after ten minutes of delving in the forest, they were sweating already but they were refreshed, full of life. Maybe it was the swim or maybe it was just each other. He liked that.

"So, Malfoy, that was quite a stunt you pulled back there," she said, pushing aside a large leaf that was drooping down from a tall tree.

He smirked, "Well, I'm full of fun. Get me drunk and I can give you a whole lot more of fun."

She rolled her eyes but there was that devious smirk on her lips that was so Malfoy-ish.

"You know that I'm not like that."

"Of course you aren't. If Hermione Granger—the golden girl who's so pure and full of goodness and bravery and all those sick things that a hero should be—was like that, I think the world might've gone mad," he said thoughtfully, "Have you ever even tried it?"

The question threw her off course. Literally. She tripped on a tree root and fell headfirst into the forest ground. Good thing she had cushioned the fall when she stretched out her arms. Draco burst out laughing as she pulled herself up. Her frizzy hair was full of twigs and her face was smudged with dirt and full of scratches from branches.

"Well?" he asked, raising his brows.

"No, I never tried it," she muttered.

He snorted, "Not such a surprise."

She punched him on the arm. His smirk widened.

"Let's rest," she said, pointing somewhere high.

He looked up and saw a small mountain. He looked at her again.

"Apparate?" he asked. She nodded and with no hesitation, she grabbed his hand and soon, they were being sucked into a void, traveling through space and time.


End file.
